The Flames of Winter
by awalkerlifeforme
Summary: Rhaeyna Targaryen is the third-born child of the Mad King. At seventeen years of age, she embarks on a mission that diverges from that of her siblings. Rhaeyna returns to Westeros as the ward of Ned Stark - a return shrouded in mystery. In her new home of Winterfell, she meets someone unlike anyone she's met before and finds herself forced to choose. True love or the Iron Throne?
1. Chapter 1

Cobblestones were one thing, but the completely unpaved roads leading into Winterfell were something else entirely. The Free Cities had plenty of rough roads, but at least it was warm. This was horrible. I looked up and glanced around as my chariot rode into the far reaches of Winterfell. It was like everyone had told me it would be. Cold and dreary. But there was admittedly something endearing about the place. Especially after I had spent my entire life in boiling climates - from all of the Free Cities into Pentos, where I had just recently left.

If I was being completely honest with myself, Winterfell was a nice change of pace. The chill in the air that blew through my hair was refreshing. Barring the disgusting roadways, this place wasn't half-bad. Considering my coming plans, I was almost happy to be here. There were so many things that I needed to take care of and none of those things could be done back in Pentos.

My only problem would be keeping my genuine mission here a secret. What I was really in Winterfell - and ultimately Westeros - for. I knew the danger that I was putting myself in being here. But Eddard Stark had promised to keep me safe from Robert Baratheon, the Usurper. Eddard's loyalty certainly wasn't because we were close. It was because he owed me. I knew that he was telling the truth about promising to keep me safe. I knew that he was doing so at great personal cost. I knew how dangerous this was for everyone involved.

The good thing was that the people I cared for most were far out of the Usurper's reach. Naturally, I missed my siblings desperately. Of course, I missed Daenerys a lot more than I missed Viserys. I supposed that I missed him just slightly. It did make me nervous to leave Dany alone with Viserys, but I knew that she needed some time to step into her own and that wasn't something she could do with her big sister looming over her shoulder. She needed some time to grow up on her own and learn to rule over Viserys. He wasn't worthy of being a king.

There were so few people suited to the Iron Throne and he wasn't one of them. I believed that deep down, Viserys was a good person. But his desire for the Iron Throne blurred that. He wasn't supposed to ever be a ruler. It was what I had hinted to Dany before leaving Pentos. I knew that it was risky, leaving such a timid and young girl in charge of our demeaning older brother, but I also knew that I could trust Dany to keep our older brother in check. Perhaps, with me gone, Dany would learn to step into her own. No more living in the shadows.

As important as it was for me being out here, I did miss my home desperately. I missed everything about it. The warm weather, the familiar people who still sided with us after all those years, and even old Magister Illyrio Mopatis. I certainly didn't love him but he had been good to my siblings and me over the last few months. After all, he had kept us safe and helped broker the deal with Eddard Stark. I knew that he would continue to keep his word to keep my siblings safe while I was gone. Particularly because he wanted to see a Targaryen restoration to the throne.

"Your Grace -"

"Not here," I interrupted Eraesella immediately. She stared at me curiously. "In front of them, only refer to me as 'My Lady.' Anywhere else, you know the rules."

Eraesella nodded slowly. "Of course, Rhae."

The sound of my old nickname brought a smile to my face. Eraesella was one of my oldest friends. One of the friends who were still alive, at least. So many others had given their lives to keep me alive. From poison or knife wounds or blind attacks all meant to end my life. Eraesella had been one of my wet nurses as an infant - a gift from my father, as she told me when I was older - and was one of the few to escape the Sack of King's Landing. I might not have remembered what had happened, but I had heard all about it. I had grown up on stories of what had happened.

I was the oldest daughter and middle child of King Aerys II Targaryen. The 'Mad King' as so many had called him, and his sister-wife, Rhaella. The thought sent a chill colder than the air of Winterfell up my spine. I had made it very clear from a young age to Viserys that he would never marry Dany or myself. The madness in our family hadn't affected others - perhaps being wedded to our own family members had something to do with it. Besides, it was no longer accepted. Not in Westeros. It was punishable by death.

But my father hadn't been aware of just how deeply the madness ran in him. He had died during the Sack of King's Landing, stabbed in the back by the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister. I had been a mere infant. Dany hadn't even been born yet. The usurper Robert Baratheon had installed himself as king, having now defeated Aerys in a conquest that would later become known as Robert's Rebellion. My pregnant mother, myself, and my brother fled to the island of Dragonstone. My memories from that early in my life were near non-existent.

What I did remember was Viserys telling me that it was the ancestral home of House Targaryen - the only reason that we had thought we might be safe there. We had done what we'd needed to do to ensure our escape from Robert Baratheon. My older brother, Rhaegar Targaryen, was killed in the war by Robert. But even in death, he was still helping his baby sister. After his death, the forces of House Lannister had murdered Rhaegar's wife, Elia Martell, and their children, Rhaenys and Aegon, also during the Sack of King's Landing.

On the night Daenerys was born on Dragonstone, mere weeks after we had arrived there, a severe summer storm raged. All I could recall from that night was screaming, flashing lights, and deafening bangs. Because of that storm, she had been given the nickname 'Daenerys Stormborn.' It was sharply contrasted with my own, 'Iceheart.' Given to me because of the unnaturally cold summer morning I had been born on and my unnaturally light eyes. Our mother had died soon after Daenerys was born, leaving all three of us orphans.

With Viserys a mere child, myself an infant, and Dany a newborn, we were taken into exile in the Free Cities by loyal retainers, among them Ser Willem Darry. He was one of our best friends. Willem Darry was perhaps the man I most closely considered like my father. Willem was the master-at-arms at the Red Keep. He was a grey bear of a man who was half-blind. He had a gruff, kind voice and big wrinkled hands, soft as old leather. All of my memories of Ser Willem were fond. While the servants were terrified of him bellowing orders at them, he was always kind to us.

After my father's death in the Sack of King's Landing and my mother's death during labor, the garrison of Dragonstone considered selling Viserys, Daenerys, and myself to the new king. However, before they could come to a decision, Ser Willem and four other loyal men smuggled the three of us from the island and fled to safety in Braavos. However, Ser Willem was old and just a few years later he became sick and died, leaving Viserys, Daenerys, and myself to fend for ourselves as the rest of the men followed not long after.

In the years that followed, the three of us spent nearly all of our time fruitlessly trying to raise support to retake the Iron Throne. But it never gained any traction. The people were comfortable under the usurper's rule and supporting our cause would have only started a war for them. Eventually, the three of us were given sanctuary by Magister Illyrio Mopatis in Pentos. As much as I wanted the Iron Throne, I also wanted that home that we had always promised each other we would find. I dreamed of finding a peaceful home and a place to belong to.

But Viserys had always refused to stay in one place for too long. It was the very reason that I was now heading into Winterfell. I had originally planned to hold off a few years, but Viserys had insisted that it was time. To be fair to him, he was right. The longer I waited, the more I risked someone else rising up against the usurper. Dany, unfortunately, would likely live in constant fear of Viserys while I was gone. He had always hit her when his temper rose. Whenever she 'woke the dragon' as he claimed. Living under Viserys's domination had left her meek and malleable.

Throughout most of our childhood, I had always been the first one to attack Viserys the moment he reached out to hurt Dany. While Viserys was bigger, I had always been more outgoing. I knew that Viserys had kept himself calmer - slightly - while I had been around. Being gone would definitely end up forcing Dany to begin standing up for herself if she wanted to be her own person. I was just hoping that my little sister would finally begin growing out of her shell. I knew that she had it in her. After all, she was a Targaryen.

In Winterfell, there were very few of my people remaining. Eraesella was one of the few people that I genuinely knew had remained loyal to myself and my family. She was one of the only people I had brought along with me on my journey from Pentos to Winterfell. A few of Illyrio's men had also come with us. It had been a long journey for everyone. It had taken almost a month to arrive in the North. I had been waiting until we arrived in Winterfell and settled in to send a raven to Dany, letting her know that I had arrived safely.

On Eraesella's other side sat Daris Piler - a swordsman who was loyal to my father during his reign. He had also been loyal to my brother Rhaegar. He had come with us when we had been forced to flee to Dragonstone and later to Braavos and Pentos. Daris had agreed to keep an eye on me during my journey to Winterfell. He was an older man who was stuck in his ways. He didn't like being here. He hadn't liked being back to Westeros since he himself hadn't been here since our family had once been on Dragonstone.

Across from me, he was bouncing his leg up and down excitedly. I looked at him and grinned slightly. One wrinkled hand was on the hilt of his sword while the other held onto the wall of the chariot. "Relax, Daris," I told him quietly.

Daris looked up at me and glared. "You are too relaxed, my lady."

"Daris," I warned.

They had to stop calling me by any titles. "Rhae," Daris conceded.

As Daris stared into my pale eyes, I leaned forward and placed a hand on his knee. "I know what I'm doing, Daris. Trust me. There's a plan in place bigger than us both," I told him. Daris laid a hand over my own. "After all, Eddard Stark owes me a great favor."

Daris arched a gray brow. "Why is that?"

"I've kept a secret for him. A secret that I intend to continue keeping as long as he honors our agreement," I said simply.

Daris let out a deep breath. "You take after your father in that way."

"In what way?" I asked.

"He was daring, too. Sometimes to a fault," Daris explained.

"Is it not in the Targaryen blood?" I asked.

"That's what concerns me," Daris said.

We both smiled at each other as the chariot trundled up the road. My tailbone was sure to be bruised with the number of times it was bouncing against the thinly-padded seat or wooden back. I glanced out of the frosty window and let a tiny grin cross my face. I had never seen a place like Winterfell before. A stone-based land with rising towers and castles topped in snow. It was a lovely sight. It appeared that we were currently passing through the edge of a residential area just outside the walls to the castle.

As much as I liked Winterfell already, it seemed that Eraesella and Daris didn't share my sentiment. "How can anyone live in a wasteland like this?" Eraesella asked harshly.

"I don't know. I think there's a bit of charm to it," I said, staring dreamily out the window.

"Charm?" Eraesella repeated, looking shocked.

Finally, I broke my gaze from Winterfell to look at her. Her nose was scrunched up in disgust. "Don't you like it just the slightest bit?" I asked her. She stared at me like I had lost my mind. "There's something about the chill in the air and the shine of the snow."

Much to my surprise, Daris was smiling. "Perhaps you have some winter in your bones."

That thought broke me away from the window faster than Viserys flew back from beggar children on the street. "I'm a Targaryen. Fire and Blood," I said sharply.

"If you wish to be a queen one day, you must learn to respect all of the Seven Kingdoms," Daris said, lowering his voice to just above a whisper. "Both those suited to you and not."

"Enough," Eraesella snapped. "None of that talk so close to Winterfell. Loyalty to the throne runs deep here."

"The Throne. Not necessarily who sits on it," I muttered in response.

Eraesella rolled her eyes. "I knew that you paid too much attention when I taught you about the politics of Westeros."

Unlike either one of my siblings, I actually listened when Eraesella and Daris taught us about the history of Westeros. I had always found it fascinating. Not to mention, there were always things to learn from in history. After all, history repeated itself. I smiled at my two older friends as the chariot thundered up the road into what our guide described as the Great Keep. That was when I finally noticed that there were what seemed to be hundreds of people lining the street, apparently waiting for us. They weren't all craning for a look at we newcomers, were they?

"What are they all here for?" I asked quietly.

"It has been a long time since a Targaryen set foot in Westeros. No one ever expected to see any of you here again. Not after Robert's Rebellion," Daris explained. I nodded for him to continue. "It is a near death sentence." That was the same thing Viserys had told me. I was determined to prove him wrong. "The only reason that you are even moderately safe is the deal that you made with Eddard Stark. Took a look around, Rhaeyna. These people are interested in you because most of them have never seen a Targaryen before."

"Are we that interesting?" I asked sardonically.

"Considering your House's history, I would say yes. Not to mention that it has always been easy to spot a Targaryen," Daris said. His gaze dropped to my hair and I subconsciously pushed it behind my shoulders. Yes. It would be very easy for anyone in the crowd to pick me out. "The Stark's will be waiting for your arrival. News of your move to Winterfell will have spread like wildfire. The people have likely been waiting for this day for months."

"I'm sure no one is as excited to see me as Eddard Stark," I said, laughing under my breath. Seeing me was likely one of his worst nightmares come to life. "Ella - pen a letter to Dany. Tell her that I will write to her once I'm settled."

"Of course," Eraesella said.

She took a piece of parchment and quill and wrote a quick sentence, rolling it up, appearing to be preparing to send it off. We rode through the gates of Winterfell and I leaned out of the window slightly. Eraesella was swearing at me loudly in High Valyrian. She likely didn't want me to actually be seen until we arrived right in front of the Stark family. But I had a job to do and it started right now. I wiped away some of the condensations that had built up on the windows and smiled at all of the civilians who were watching me.

It was the kids who appeared to be the most fascinated with me. The adults certainly looked suspicious. Naturally. Most of them likely remembered the way that my father had been in the months leading up to his death. But I was not my father and my proof of that began today. I waved to the kids and glanced up the road. I could see where our brigade would be landing. It was just up the path, not far from where we were now. My eyes immediately landed on the man who must have been Eddard Stark. I had only heard of him but there would be no mistaking the Lord of Winterfell.

A sudden urge came over me at the sight of a little girl carrying a porcelain doll. "Stop the carriage," I ordered loudly.

The horses drawing the carriage ground to a short trot, practically throwing everyone onto the floor. "My lady?" Daris asked.

"I will walk the rest of the way," I announced.

"Rhae -"

"Stop the carriage," I repeated, interrupting Eraesella. The carriage slowed to a complete halt and I smiled, standing from my spot where I had been positioned for hours. My legs were slightly sore but I ignored the dull pain, instead, letting one of my guards open the door and stepping out into the chilly air. There was an instant hush that fell over the crowd. I turned back to my companions. "You two can stay if you like."

Daris was the first to move from his dumbfounded position. "You're not walking alone."

His hand tightened on the hilt of his sword as he climbed out of the carriage behind me. I turned back to the growing crowd and gave them a gentle smile and bow. About half returned the gesture. I turned away from them after a moment and began marching up the path toward Eddard Stark. I tried my absolute hardest to look at each citizen as I passed them. It was easy to see that they were all fascinated by me, seeing as I didn't look a thing like the rest of them. Even the occasional blonde-haired man or woman bore no resemblance to me.

Just a few families down from the Stark's, I spotted a young girl who was staring up at me in wonder. I smiled at the young girl and waltzed off the path, striding up to her. The young girl stared blankly at me. As I leaned down into the mud to get onto the girl's level, I could practically feel Eraesella's anger radiating off of her. She had spent a long time making the dress and I was ruining it in mere seconds. The girl's parents looked a bit concerned to have me so close to their child but said nothing against it. Of course, having an armed soldier behind me probably didn't help.

"What's your name?" I asked the little girl.

"Palla," she answered.

"Hmm... Palla. I like that name." It was so different from anything I'd heard in the Free Cities. It was a strong Northerner name. Palla smiled gently. I reached over and gently lifted up a coal gray cloak that Palla had knotted around her throat. "Did you make this?" I asked her. Palla nodded bashfully. "Will you show me how to make one? It's so warm in Pentos and I don't think I brought enough cloaks."

Palla bowed slightly. "Of course, milady."

I laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder and pushing her back upright. "Just Rhae, my dear," I said. She nodded and stood back upright, turning back to her parents and grinning proudly. They smiled down at her as I stood back up, addressing them now. "You have a beautiful daughter."

Palla bore an intense resemblance to her mother, who also had jet black hair and deep green eyes. "Thank you," Palla's mother said, dropping down into a bow, "mi -"

"Rhae. I insist," I said, shaking my head to keep her from bowing. "Rhaeyna, if nothing else."

The mother looked quite pleased that I had stopped her - a reaction that I had been planning on. I smiled at them a final time before turning and walking back toward the Stark family, who were standing near a blacksmith station. Eraesella - just as I had expected - looked furious with me for what was likely a multitude of many things and Daris looked like he was ready to slaughter anyone who dared make a move against me. But I had to do this alone. So, I motioned them both back as I approached Eddard Stark. He looked very much like I had imagined.

Tall, dark-haired, and clearly once quite handsome. I stood facing Eddard Stark for a long time. I was much shorter than he was. He towered over me. Eventually, he dropped down into a proper bow in front of me. I took my own, going not quite as low as he had. As we both straightened up together, I maintained eye contact with him. I wasn't going to let anyone threaten me. Even if Eddard wasn't a threat to my safety, he was a threat to my ultimate goal. After all, he was loyal to Robert Baratheon, no matter what. But his protection would offer me a foot-up in the game.

"My lady," Eddard Stark greeted. "I hope your travels were easy."

"It is a long trip from Pentos to Winterfell. But a worthy one. Your home is lovely," I said, gazing around at the massive towers behind us.

"Thank you. Welcome to Winterfell. Our home is yours," Eddard offered.

"My greatest thanks, Lord Stark," I said.

"You may call me Ned," he replied.

"And you may call me Rhaeyna. Rhae, if you would like," I decided to offer. We had to try and become friends. This was an easy first step. Ned nodded at me. We stood in silence for a moment, each looking the other up and down, neither daring to break eye contact first. "My many thanks to you for welcoming your home to me. It is high time that everyone knows where my loyalty lies."

The words were painfully rehearsed but I delivered them as earnestly as I could. Ned nodded at me. I couldn't read his face to decide whether or not he believed me. There were stares and quiet whispers being exchanged in the meantime throughout the crowd. I was no fool. I knew that none of them believed me, but that was the entire point of me being here. I had to begin winning over the people. What good was starting a revolution when no one knew you or had the slightest trust in you? I had always prided myself on being able to manipulate people's emotions.

Eventually, Ned was the first one to break the tense silence. "Might I introduce you to my wife?" Ned said, motioning to a tall red-headed, green-eyed woman standing next to him. "Catelyn Stark."

"My lady," Catelyn greeted, dropping down into a curtsy.

"Rhae," I corrected her gently. "I can see I'll have to repeat that a number of times."

Catelyn gave me a tense smile. "I fear that you will."

As fake as my greetings may have been, I really did despise being called 'my lady' or anything of the likes. I smiled at Catelyn again and dipped into a bow. "My lady," I said, quickly straightening up. "From House Tully, if I recall my lessons correctly?"

Catelyn nodded. "Yes, Rhaeyna."

"And our children," Ned said, placing a hand on my shoulder and motioning me to the line of children next to him. "Our oldest, Robb Stark."

I turned to the figure closest to Catelyn, preparing to bow slightly to the oldest son. As I made eye contact with him, I found myself staring into the eyes of a man who was the near polar opposite of me. He had dark hair and light eyes, stood nearly an entire head above me, and was devastatingly handsome. He appeared to me about my age. His green eyes bored into my violet ones. Ned ended up having to clear his throat after a few long seconds to get Robb Stark to finally break eye contact and drop down into a bow. I responded with a slight one of my own.

"My lady," Robb said, enunciating the title, just as any highborn would have been taught to do. As Robb came back upright, he took my hand gently and kissed the back of it. I had to instantly scold myself for the skip of my heartbeat, instead, plastering a smile on my face. "A pleasure."

"The pleasure is mine, my lord," I responded.

_Pleased, indeed_. "Just Robb, please."

It seemed that I wasn't the only one who wasn't overly fond of being called by a title. "Just Rhaeyna, I insist."

The two of us exchanged a slight smile. My white eyebrow arched slightly as I looked him up and down. Dressed in dark brown leather, some silver plating, and two layers of brown fur - there was no mistaking that he was from the ruling House. There was no mistaking that he was Ned Stark's son. He bore an intense resemblance to his father - just as people had always said I bore a distinct resemblance to mine. Although, Robb had his mother's eyes. My violet ones scanned his body a few times as a small grin popped up on my lips.

Perhaps there was a chance that this trip wouldn't just be business for me. Unlike my siblings, I had never truly taken pleasure with having any royal, or ladylike, personality traits. I had always preferred to play-fight with the local children and be treated as one of them. As I had grown older, I had sometimes even been forward with the boys who plated in the streets with us - something that had infuriated Viserys. I had never gone to that point he feared that I had, but I certainly wasn't afraid to. The only thing that scared me was the instant attraction to Robb.

It was something that I was sure would have to be stamped out. Robb was handsome but there was something else that I needed to do. The one thing I desperately needed to do was prove to these people that I cared for them. That I would be their best ruler. Because I was one of them. I had grown up as one of them. I knew what needed to happen in order to make their lives better. That was exactly what would make me a good queen when the time came. I knew them and respected them. For many years, I had been them.

"My ward, Theon Greyjoy," Ned continued, shattering my thoughts. I broke eye contact with Robb and turned to another man about my age. He was handsome in his own manner. Theon bowed to me. I didn't miss the way that his eyes traced the lines of my body. I ignored him, instead, willing myself to ignore Robb's lingering stare. "My daughter, Sansa."

On Robb's other side was a very pretty red-headed girl who appeared to be about twelve or so. She had a brilliant smile on her face that hadn't once faded since I had walked up. Her hair trailed down her back, done up in a pretty braid that went over the crown of her head. She was quite tall for someone her age, already towering over me. Sansa took a low bow and straightened up, still smiling brightly. I smiled back at her and dipped into a bow of my own. She was a proper young lady who very closely resembled her mother - the only one who shared her red hair.

"You have lovely hair," I told her.

"Thank you, my lady," Sansa said, bowing slightly again. "As do you."

Subconsciously, I reached up and ran a finger through my hair, smiling the entire time. I had allowed Dany to do my hair one last time before leaving Pentos. Obviously, I had bathed and rinsed a number of times since leaving her but each time I was ready to pull my hair back again, I had Eraesella repeat Dany's pattern. Something to remember my little sister by. Like most Targaryen's, I had white-blonde hair that trailed almost down to my waist. Mine was just slightly lighter than Dany's. She had wrapped it in a complicated braid - her best one by far.

It consisted of two braids each on either side of my head that wound back into a bigger braid that trailed straight down the middle of my back. The massive braid laid over the rest of my hair that fell flat on the underside. There were also three thin strands of hair on each side of my head that were at intervals trailing down my back that wound into the larger braid - held together by silver beads with the House Targaryen sigil. There were some curled strands left loose in front of my face that blew gently in the wind. It was a classic Targaryen look.

"I'll teach you one day, if you like," I told Sansa suddenly, realizing that I had been dreaming of Dany and Pentos for far too long.

Sansa smiled. "Please, my lady."

Her hands dropped down to the bright blue cotton dress she was draped in. "Did you make that dress?" I asked. Sansa nodded excitedly, picking up her dress and swaying it around her feet. "Will you make me one? I'm rather lousy at sewing."

Sansa's green eyes brightened. "It would be my pleasure," she said.

Sansa went to drop down into another bow when I laughed, shaking my head and putting out a hand to stop her. "No need," I told her. She smiled and nodded, instead, taking a step back.

"My daughter, Arya," Ned continued.

Ned swept his arm out to the side and motioned to a young girl on Sansa's other side. The little girl looked to be a few years younger than her sister and greatly resembled her father - much like her brothers. She had dark eyes and medium-length dark brown hair that was tied up in a simple braid. What caught my eyes was the fact that she was covered in dirt and soot. I recognized it immediately. She had been playing with the local boys. She would rather be a warrior than a proper lady. Something that I respected greatly. I smiled and dropped to my knees in front of Arya.

"Rhae -"

I raised my hand to silence Eraesella before she could chide me for dirtying my white dress. Eraesella growled but fell silent. "I've seen that look in your eyes before, you know," I told Arya.

"What do you mean?" Arya asked curiously, not even bothering to bow.

It looked like Catelyn was about to scold her daughter for not presenting herself properly, but I appreciated being treated as just another normal person for a moment. "That desire for adventure. To be something more than a proper lady. Correct?" I asked her. Arya nodded bashfully. I smiled at her again. "Promise me that you will never compromise yourself for a man."

Arya gave a slight smile, the first one I had seen. "Never."

"I'll teach you a lesson, Arya," I said. She nodded for me to continue. "Men have an inherent weakness that we do not share."

Arya stared at me blankly for a moment. "What is it?" she asked.

"That is a lesson that you will learn on your own," I said. She would learn in time. We all did. I smiled at Arya's baffled look and brushed back a few loose strands of hair over her forehead. She reminded me vaguely of myself when I was her age. "Never let that spirit die."

Arya smiled as Ned placed a hand on my shoulder. I rose and looked at a young boy. "My son, Bran," Ned said.

The boy was the spitting image of his father. "Aren't you a handsome one?" I said.

Bran smiled bashfully but didn't respond. "And my youngest, Rickon," Ned continued.

The last Stark child in line appeared to be barely out of his toddler years. "Hello, little one," I said. We both smiled at each other as I turned back to Ned, offering the chance for him to mention the last boy. But he didn't. So, I did. "There's another, is there not?"

It wasn't just the Stark family that tensed. The entire crowd did. Any muttering that had been going on before instantly died off. I had known that any mention of the boy wouldn't go over well. But this was the person that I had genuinely come to meet. I had always been curious to meet him. He had always belonged with us, after all. I spotted Catelyn on my other side trying to refrain from glaring at her husband. My eyebrow arched. She didn't know the truth... Of course... He had never told her. Not even his wife. He had always kept the secret.

After a moment, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I brushed past Ned and faced who I assumed to be the boy I was looking for. "Jon Snow, am I correct?" I asked him carefully.

The young man looked shocked that I had spotted him from the second row of greeters. Robb and Theon parted to allow Jon to slip between them. He looked almost exactly like Ned Stark. Which made sense, as they were technically related. I smiled at him as Jon stepped up to me and dropped down in a low bow. His bow was much lower than any of his other siblings'. Naturally, he believed that we were of two such different origins when the truth was such the opposite. I didn't bow back to him - as it would have looked extremely odd - but watched him curiously.

"My lady," Jon said, straightening up.

While his gaze remained firmly locked on my violet eyes, I looked him up and down. "You have the bearing of a Stark," I told him proudly.

Jon's face reddened slightly. There were plenty of sharp glares from those standing closest to us, namely Catelyn Stark. "Rhaeyna," Ned interrupted, stepping between us. "Shall we get you settled? I'm sure that it has been a long and tiresome journey."

"Yes. Of course," I said. Ned nodded and made a move to show me back to where I assumed they would have me stay. But there was a final conversation I needed to have before I got settled here and I couldn't have it out in the open. "Before we go, will you show me to your crypts? Eraesella told me about them. If I am to be living as a Northerner, I think that means that there are some people here that I should pay my respects to."

Ned cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly sensing where this was going. "Of course."

As the two of us prepared to head out, I overheard Catelyn talking to the boys. "Why don't you all help gather Rhaeyna's things? We'll have her in the Southern Tower with us," she told them.

"Of course, Mother," Robb responded.

"Girls. Help with the feast," Catelyn commanded.

"Feast?" I repeated, stepping back into their conversation. "Please. I don't need such things."

"Only the best for our distinguished guest," Catelyn said, smiling tersely.

I forced the brightest smile onto my face that I could muster. "My every thanks."

Neither one of our smiles quite reached our eyes, but at least we were both trying. As the guards and knights standing around the courtyard began clearing everyone out for the feast later tonight, I turned back and gave the Starks one last smile. They all smiled back. Just as I turned away, I happened to catch Robb's eye as he walked off. He gave me a slight smile as he headed back to my chariot and began helping the guards pull everything out - moving them into my new home. This was the beginning of a new era. For now, this was my home. I would have to get used to living here.

It took Ned placing a hand in the small or my back and pushing me forward to break my thoughts - and snap my final thread holding me to my family still in Pentos. They were there waiting for me... They would be there when I was ready to return... And eventually, we would all come to Westeros together... This wasn't permanent. I just had to remind myself of that. This wasn't where my life ended. It was where it began. So, I turned away from the chariot and walked off with Ned, who kept his voice low as we walked.

"That's an interesting choice that you made earlier," Ned commented.

"To walk the rest of the way?" I asked curiously. He nodded at me. "If I am coming here to integrate myself into the North, I might as well start with introducing myself to its people. Riding here, locked away in a chariot, is a poor way to introduce myself."

Ned nodded slowly. "Understood."

"You disagree with my methods," I reasoned.

"I think you're bold."

It was a concern that Dany had expressed about me many times. "A timid and well-mannered woman will never win anything."

"You are much like your father."

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult."

"Perhaps a bit of both."

At least Ned was being honest. That much was something I could respect. Ned laid a hand on my shoulder and led me toward what he called the First Keep. There was an ironwood door just off to the side that Ned pushed open, dismissing two guards that were standing watch over the tombs. As we entered, Ned motioned me to the staircase and we descended two levels into the main crypt. We walked down a dark hallway and headed straight for Lyanna Stark's statue. I started at it for a long time. I knew the truth and I knew how it could be manipulated.

"He has her bearing," I told Ned, feeling him tense up at my side. "Yours as well."

Ned swallowed thickly. "He does. It's why she trusted me."

His voice was so low that it was nearly impossible to hear him. "A smart choice. You're an honorable man," I said, finally breaking my gaze from her statue, looking into Ned's eyes. His face was a mask of hurt and pride as he stared at his late sister's statue. "Which is exactly why I am surprised by how stupid others can be. Not even remotely suspicious?"

Ned's gaze narrowed slightly as he turned to me. "Which brings me to my ultimate question. How did you know?"

A small smile crossed my lips as I walked around Ned's side, standing at the base of Lyanna's statue. "My late brother was no fool. He trusted certain people. He knew that my other brother was not a dragon. Not a real one, at least," I said, rolling my eyes at the thought of Viserys' pride. "He knew that the truth had to be passed down to someone who could use it."

Ned's gaze narrowed. "He died when you were a child."

"True," I conceded. "But death doesn't necessarily erase all memories."

Ned thought on my words for a long time as I smiled at him. He was a smart man. He would get there eventually. Finally, the truth dawned on him. "He left you something."

"Correct again," I said, grinning. My brother had placed a lot of trust in me for someone he hadn't even known. But he had known that the truth would shatter the known world and I didn't intend to let that secret die with him. "Lord Eddard Stark, you have my word that I will not repeat what I know. The information is useless right now, after all. The only thing that it would do would draw the usurper Robert Baratheon to Winterfell and throw the world into arms. It's not the time for that. Not yet."

"You have big dreams and plans for such a young woman," Ned commented.

"It's the Targaryen way. Waves have to be made," I told him. We both stared at each other as I looked him up and down. How could a man like Ned Stark be so close to a man like Robert Baratheon? "How comfortable are you really with the fat king on the Iron Throne?"

"We're not getting into that," Ned snapped.

"Understandable. We'll start small. I'm in no hurry," I told him honestly, perching myself on the edge of Lyanna's statue.

Ned let out a deep breath, running his fingers over the bridge of his nose. "I've agreed to keep you safe. That's not something I can do if you go making a scene of yourself," he told me.

For someone who had fought so hard to remove my family from the Iron Throne, Ned was certainly working hard to keep me alive. "That's much appreciated. You've upheld your end of the bargain. Give me a place to live in. Explained my _loyalty_ to Robert Baratheon," I sneered angrily. I stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath and forcing myself to calm down. "As far as your last comment... I can keep myself safe, Lord Stark. I've been doing it for many years now."

The two of us stared at each other for a long time. Neither one of us said anything or dared make a move. I knew what was happening. It was a power struggle locked in our minds. We wouldn't say the obvious - I held a very dangerous secret over Ned's head and he could have easily ordered his men to murder me - because it was just too obvious. We were better than that. We just had to figure out what came next. Would we manage to become allies or would we always be in this awkward in-between stage of allies and enemies?

Much to my own surprise, I decided that I would try to become allies. That started with telling him what his loyalty meant to me. "The truth is, Ned, I've never truly had a place to call home. I've been on the run my entire life. Winterfell is not what I'm used to but there is a beautiful charm to it. Thank you for having me here," I said quietly.

Ned stared at me for a long time, seemingly wondering whether or not I was telling the truth. It felt like hours before he finally said, "You will always be welcome in Winterfell, as will the entire Targaryen family."

_As it seemingly had been for a long time_. "Thank you, Ned," I said.

For now, our feud seemed to be over. "Would you care to freshen up before the feast?" Ned offered, appearing to be as done with our battle for dominance as I was.

It was something that could be returned to later. "Actually, I would. With white-blonde hair and violet eyes, I already stand out desperately in the North. The least I can do is attempt to dress like you," I told Ned, who seemed to appreciate my willingness to try and blend in with his people. I pulled the white silk from my frame carelessly. "Plus, I'm not overly fond of the icy air here while I'm wearing silk."

Ned's lips parted in something that looked almost like a smile. "Come. We have clothes you can wear until new ones can be made."

"Much appreciated."

The Stark family was already doing more for me in a matter of minutes than some people had done for my entire family for decades. I smiled at Ned and took his hand, allowing him to lead me back to the Great Keep. Together we walked back into the Great Keep, which was welcoming in more ways than one. As I had walked into the Great Keep, I realized that it was unnaturally warm in the castle. Almost to the point that I was comfortable in my silk dress and one fur cloak. Though my hands and feet were still practically frozen.

"It's warm here," I commented to Ned.

"The castle is situated atop hot springs. Helps keep the castle warm even in the worst of winters," Ned explained.

The thought brought a smile to my face. "A piece of home," I whispered.

Pentos might not have really been my home but it was the closest place to a home that I had. Right now, Winterfell was reminding me of that home. "We all hope that you can find some comfort in being here," Ned said.

"Thank you, Ned," I said gratefully.

Perhaps living in Winterfell wouldn't be too bad. I had no idea how long I would be here, but it could have been a halfway decent place to live. As we walked through the Great Keep, I smiled up at Ned. He was commenting on each bedroom and closed door, telling me where it was and where I could go for any help until we were led up to the second floor. About halfway through our tour, Ned mentioned that the rest of the Stark family resided in this part of the castle. The thought almost pleased me. They trusted me enough to at least let me live in the same area as them.

As we stood in front of a massive oak door, Ned took a step back. "I will send someone for you in a while."

"My many thanks," I told him.

We both nodded at each other as Ned gave me a final reassuring look before turning and walking off. For a moment I stood and stared at the wooden door. Once I opened it, my life here would be official. It would be time for me to officially become an occupant of Winterfell. I had been awaiting this day for months, but it was strange to know that it was finally here. Particularly because I had no idea how long I would be here. It would easily be months. But there was a chance that those months could turn into years.

Trying to push away the thoughts of having to leave Daenerys and Viserys for that long, I wrapped my hand around the black steel handle on the door and gently pushed it open. Immediately, I was met with a sight that almost made me gasp. The interior of the room almost made me gasp. It looked so... homey. Even for someone who had never really had a home before. There was a huge deep wood chest at the foot of the bed and a dresser that matched on the other end of the room. My bed was about four times the size of the one I slept on back in Pentos.

One of the first things I noticed was that there were pure white furs draped over the bed. It made me smile slightly. The color of the furs was almost the same color of my own hair. It was the only thing in the room that was white. There was a small desk sitting at the base of a window that overlooked a courtyard that appeared to be designed for archery practice. It would at least be interesting to watch people practice if I wanted to hide up in my room all day. Next to the desk was a large fireplace with a fire already roaring, heating up the room to a near-perfect temperature.

There was another wooden door on the other end of the bedroom that I assumed was for a connected bathroom. I nudged that door open and waltzed inside. I was right about it being a bathroom. There was a large metal tub for bathing and a full-length mirror that I could use to look at myself in. There were deep brown tiles lining the floor and walls. There were even some warm coals in the corner to keep the bathroom warm. I waltzed in slowly, removing my slippers on the way in, and stood in front of the mirror. I looked very much as I had when I'd left Pentos.

With no one to interrupt me, I stared at myself in the mirror for a long time. _A Targaryen through and through_. My white-blonde hair hit to the very bottom of my back. My violet eyes pierced through my face. My eyes were the lightest of any of my siblings. In the sun, they even looked silver in the sun sometimes. My skin was slightly tanned from my time in Pentos. My body only took up about half of the mirror - I shared my stature with Dany. My white dress flowed to the floor - now coating in mud - and had a white wolf fur pelt over my shoulders. It had been meant as a statement when I'd arrived.

Someone had been in here earlier and had apparently left some things out for me. Sitting on the stone counter was a dress made from thick wool. It had a slight dip in the neckline and cinched in at the waist. It was dyed the same lovely shade of violet as my eyes. I undid the ties on my silk dress, removing it and folding it up, placing it on the counter, and stepped into the wool dress, lacing it up as high as my arms would reach. I then grabbed a white fox fur cloak and threw it over my shoulders. As I gave myself a once over, I found that I was somewhat satisfied with the way I looked.

In time I would have to have someone make clothes a little more suited for me. As I strolled out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, I realized that most of my things had been laid in the center of the room for me. They had done their job. Now I had to unpack. My first instinct was to walk over to a wooden chest about the length of my torso. I dropped onto my knees next to it and lifted the lid, smiling down at the unharmed occupants. Three beautiful eggs. Dragon eggs. Given as a gift to me from Daris on my fifteenth name day.

The eggs had served as a reminder that I was always a Targaryen, no matter where I went. I ran a hand over the eggs and smiled. They had been turned to stone with the ages but that didn't change the love that I had for them. One was a beautiful pale gold with silver flecks dug into the ridges. Another was a flaming red with deep brown ridges around the edge of the egg. The largest of the eggs by far was a jet black one. Unlike the other two, there were no other colors on the black egg. It also held a slight shine to it. It had been my favorite since the first time I'd seen it.

Taking the black egg in my hands, I rose and walked over to the roaring fireplace. I kneeled down at the edge of the stone and leaned forward, placing it in the flames. I smiled as the fire warmed over my fingers, yet didn't burn me. It didn't burn me when I placed down either of the other two eggs either. A true dragon, I thought, allowing the flames from the fireplace to run over a silver ring I wore bearing our family sigil. A true dragon, just as I knew my sister was.

When Dany was barely two, I had been instructed to help bathe her one night by the maids who had helped hide us for a number of years in a house with a red door in Braavos. Viserys had been out getting food. I had stood over the stone baths and dropped Dany into the water that was far too warm for a normal child, having been used to taking such boiling baths myself. The maids had yelled for me to stop, that I would burn her, but Dany had seemed perfectly content in the boiling water. That was the day that I'd known we were both meant to be the dragons. Not our moronic brother.

"You're starting to look like a real Northerner."

Immediately, I pulled my hands back from the fire and turned around. Robb Stark was standing in the doorway, smiling down at me. I returned the grin and got to my feet. "Oh, I get the feeling that I'm still a long way away from that," I said.

Robb looked down at the floor-length gown. "Sansa will be thrilled to see that you are wearing one of her own dresses," he said.

I followed his gaze to the floor. I had known that Sansa had made this dress but had already decided that I would say nothing about it. "Did she make this?" I asked. Robb nodded. "It is quite lovely. She has a natural talent."

"She does," Robb replied. We both stood in silence for a moment as I walked further from the fireplace. "My father sent me to escort you to dinner."

"That was kind of him. Seems to be an easy place to get lost in," I told him honestly.

If there was one thing I had never prided myself on, it was my sense of direction. I had always relied on Dany and Viserys to get us places. "It is. Bran and Rickon love hiding in the halls. You'd never find them if they didn't want to be found," Robb said, smiling fondly.

"Perhaps I'll have to take after them. I think I'll be in need some good alone time after long," I said.

"I'll show you where my favorite spot was if you'd like," Robb offered. I arched a brow at his offer, one that I was already considering taking him up on. "No one will ever find you."

"Except for you," I commented.

"Does that bother you?" Robb asked.

I smiled slightly. "No. Does it bother you?" I asked.

"My lady?" Robb asked, clearly not understanding my question.

"Rhaeyna," I corrected him. "Rhae, if you would like." Robb nodded. "Say it."

Robb's face reddened slightly from his mistake as he said, "Rhae. I like Rhae."

It was my preferred nickname - the one that Dany and Viserys had always used. "As do I." We remained in a brief silence until I decided to push a little bit. "Does it bother you? My being here?" I asked him curiously.

Robb didn't seem to understand. "Why would it?"

"I can only assume that you were named for Robert Baratheon," I said slowly. Robb stared at me for a moment before nodding. "You must know by now that there is a long and complicated history between my family and his. Yours as well."

"Yet you are here," Robb pointed out.

_Not for a reason that you would like._ "Healing must start somewhere. My family will not be wiped out. If that means having to come here and try to make repentance for what my father did during his reign, I will," I said seriously. My father had been extremely disturbed. I knew what he was, but that didn't mean that I would ever forgive his murder. "I'm under no illusion, Robb Stark. I know who my father was. I am not him. I know the old saying. Each time a new Targaryen is born, the gods flip a coin. Which side do you think it landed on?"

Robb was silent for a long time, thinking on my question. "I don't think I know you well enough to make that judgement," he said. I nodded my agreement. We didn't know each other at all, but for some reason, I was glad that he was here. "What I do know is that you are far smarter than you've let on so far."

"Correct you are," I said, inclining my head slightly. "So, I repeat my first question. Does my being here bother you?"

"No," Robb said without hesitation. "It doesn't."

Much to my own surprise, that brought a smile to my face. I nodded at him as I slowly reached up and unhooked the cloak from my shoulders. Robb began shifting uncomfortably. But we weren't there. Not yet, at least. This was something much more innocent. Since he was here, he might as well have been helpful. I turned my back to him, revealing that my dress was only laced halfway up. As I looked back over my shoulder I noticed that Robb wasn't actually looking at me.

"Give me a hand, will you?" I called.

His gaze finally turned back to me. He looked relieved to see that my dress was still on. "Of course," Robb said, finally realizing what I wanted.

As he walked back to me, I turned to look away, pulling my hair over my shoulder. Robb's fingers worked confidently at the laces and I smiled to myself. Had he done this before? Or undone them, perhaps? At first, he was very careful not to dare press his hands too hard against my back. But that changed after a few minutes. As his hands worked around my shoulders, I felt his fingers gently brush against my back each time he thread a new piece of the lace. His fingers were surprisingly warm.

The thought made me smile briefly. But the moment between us - the reminders of my old life - still managed to bring a frown to my face. I had known that leaving my siblings would be hard, and it had been during the journey, but it was worse now that I was here, so far away from them. Away from everything. All of the things that had become so familiar to me. Daenerys had always been the person who had done up the laces on my dresses to get ready in the morning. I had done the same for her. I blinked back tears that rose to my eyes surprisingly fast.

"Are you alright?" Robb asked worriedly.

I jumped slightly, having momentarily forgotten that he was with me. His hand was resting gently in the middle of my back as he gave me a concerned stare. "My apologies," I said, waving him off carelessly. "I've never been away from my siblings for so long."

"Have you ever been away from them at all?" Robb asked.

"No. The longest we've ever been apart was just a few hours. We're all each other has left in the world. We're the last family that we have. We never walked away from each other. No matter how angry we would get," I said quietly.

Robb nodded sadly. "You have…"

"Two siblings," I answered. I probably shouldn't have been confiding in Robb Stark about my family, but I wanted to talk about them to someone. Not to Daris or Eraesella - who would worry too much about me - but to a complete stranger. "An older brother, Viserys, and a younger sister, Daenerys. A deceased older brother as well, Rhaegar."

"You miss them both?"

"More than anything. I miss Dany more, though," I said, smiling slightly.

Robb blew out a puff of air that sounded like a laugh. "She's your favorite, then?"

"Of course. We're not supposed to, but everyone has favorites."

"I don't."

"Lying is not one of your talents, then?" I teased.

"I don't have a favorite," Robb said indignantly.

"Sure, you do. Everyone does. Even if they don't admit it to themselves. Would you like to hear my guess?" I offered. Robb stared at me, fighting back a smile, as I began circling him. "You love Theon, but he's still just your father's ward. You grew up together, he is your brother, but he's still not the same. His pride and arrogance, that gets to you. It bothers you. Arya… Oh, she's a close second. You love her fire and her spirit. But still, she's just a young girl. Not many similarities there. No true bond to Sansa, that I see, at least. You love her. You'd kill for her. But certainly, she is not your favorite. There's a close bond with Bran. You see yourself in him. But that age gap takes its toll. The same with Rickon. You see more like a son than a brother. Someone to teach the ways of life. But Jon Snow… Now there's a man who you share a special bond with. That kind of bond that can only come from a favorite sibling. That bond that can never be shattered."

As I came to a halt in front of him, I gave a slight smile. Robb stared at me blankly for a long time, probably wondering how I had been so right about his thoughts on his family. It was something that I had always prided myself on. The ability to read people. Even Viserys had commented more than once about how difficult it was to lie to me. Of course, I knew every bit of his slimy personality. Robb was a perfect stranger. He looked completely disbelieving at my assessment. But I knew how families worked. All of them.

Eventually, Robb's face split into a small smile. "I knew that you were smarter than you let on."

"Smarter than that, Robb Stark. Just as your worth is not determined by what's between your legs, neither is mine," I said.

An almost fond look spread over his face. "You'll get on well with Arya."

"What of you?" I asked.

It was definitely a bold statement to make. I didn't know Robb. But the journey here had been a long and boring road. I was sick of the constant political and strategic talks. For once, I wanted to feel like I was my own age. Not even an adult yet. Almost surprising me, as Robb had seemed reasonably reserved so far, he turned to me and smiled. I knew the look in his eyes well. It was the one that was mirrored in my own. I knew that, down the road, my boldness could come back to bite me. But no one had ever said that I couldn't have a bit of fun on this trip. And Robb looked fun to me.

Before either of us got the chance to make the next move, I noticed Robb's gaze turn down. "What are those?" he asked, pointing behind me.

I didn't need to turn back to know what he was talking about. "Take a guess," I said.

My hands slowly folded themselves behind my back. Robb slowly approached the fireplace, leaning down in front of it. "These are… There's no way," Robb said disbelievingly.

"There is always a way," I told him.

"They're real?" Robb asked, looking back at me.

"In a way," I admitted. Robb tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Yes, they are dragon eggs. Given to me as a name day present from my advisor and knight, Daris. They've long since been turned to stone by the ages. But I like having them around. They remind me of where I come from."

Robb laughed, turning back to the eggs. "I didn't even know that there were still dragon eggs in Westeros."

"Who said that they were from here?"

"Where are they from?"

It was a tale that Daris had told me the day he had given them to me. "That's a story that you'll have to earn," I said playfully.

The same devilish grin that was on my face appeared on Robb's. "How can I earn it?"

"You'll figure out a way, I'm sure," I said.

We both smiled at each other. Robb's quickly faded as he stared into the flames. "You keep them in the fireplace?" he asked curiously.

My face turned slightly red at my stupid actions. "We all have one childish dream," I said, shuffling my feet as I had always done when I was embarrassed. "I grew up stories of Balerion the Black Dread."

Robb smiled at my admission. "I'd love to see one."

He was one of the few people I had met that felt that way about them. "Sometimes I've thought about cracking one open just to see it. Even if it's nothing more than a skeleton. But I've been stopped whenever I think about them," I said, imagining the little dragons sleeping in their protective shells. "That maybe they're all in their eggs, just dreaming. Waiting to be awoken from their slumber."

"What do you think dragons dream about?" Robb asked.

"Flying. On and on with no one telling them where or when to land," I answered dreamily.

Robb clearly knew what I was getting at. "Is that what you would like to do?" he asked.

"What we like and what we get are rarely the same," I answered with a wry smile.

What I would have loved was to grow up with my family in a real home. Not on the run, living like animals, never even knowing my own parents. Robb and I looked at each other for a long time. That was when I noticed that Robb had moved away from the fireplace and closer to me during our conversation. I hated that my heart started beating faster as Robb stood mere steps away. Before either of us could figure out our next move, the door to my room opened, revealing Eraesella, who looked surprised to see Robb with me.

"My lady. My lord," Eraesella greeted, dipping into a slight bow.

"Robb, this is one of my oldest friends, Eraesella," I told him, motioning to my friend. Robb gave her a slight bow in return. "Ella, enough with the formal titles."

"Pleased, my lady," Robb told her.

"You'll only encourage her," I told him.

Ella scowled at me as Robb gave a slight smile. "You're highborn, my lady," Ella pointed out. I nodded at her, well-aware of that fact. "You should want to be called by your proper title."

"What I want right now is something to eat," I said, blowing Ella's comment off.

"I can oblige," Robb said, stepping forward. "May I?"

He walked up to the side that Eraesella wasn't standing on - almost like a guard - and offered me his arm. I raised a brow at the gesture, not quite used to men doing it back in Pentos. There were mostly sellswords and banished knights that I was used to dealing with. My indignant side reared its ugly head as I looked at Robb, as I was perfectly capable of walking on my own, but I chose not to say anything. I needed to make friends and allies while I was here. I couldn't go fighting stupid battles like how I could walk on my own to a feast.

As the two of us made our way out of the castle and onto the grounds, I wrapped my spare hand over Robb's arm. He was as strong as he looked. He turned to me and gave a gentle smile. I looked up into the sky as we brushed through the crowd heading to the feast. All eyes turned to us as we did. There was soft chatter that arose at the sight of us together. About halfway to the dining hall I stopped walking and looked up at the gently falling snow. I had never seen snow before making my journey to Westeros. Robb stopped just behind me and watched my fascination curiously.

It was falling more in gentle flakes than anything else. While I could make out the snow easily in the hair of most of the Northerners, I couldn't make it out in my own as the colors matched nearly perfectly. I raised a hand to the sky and watched as the tiny flakes fell into my open palm, melting almost immediately. A small smile broke over my face as a childish laugh escaped my lips. Winterfell wasn't a desolate wasteland as I had originally imagined it would be. It was absolutely stunning in its own way.

"It's beautiful here. Peaceful," I said quietly.

"I'm glad you like it," Robb said, walking up to my side, brushing a few snowflakes from my long hair. "Winterfell has always been my home. I hope it can become yours, too."

"You do?" I asked curiously, turning to him.

"We all do," Robb backtracked.

I smiled at him. "I'd never seen snow before coming north."

"It doesn't snow in Pentos?"

"No. Not where I lived. You'll sweat your tits off, but it doesn't snow," I explained. Robb's head snapped over to me in surprise at the rather crude and blunt statement. After a moment, he started laughing. I joined him a moment later. "Ella would have my head if she heard me talking like that."

Robb looked at me with a newfound appreciation. "I don't hear many ladies speaking like that."

"You can't have met many fun ladies, then," I teased.

Robb shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"Let's change that," I said brightly, stepping into him.

My words had been mostly a test. I wanted to see just how he would take my words. Would he take the bait like most of the men in Pentos would have or would he act the proper man, just as his father had? Robb looked surprised at my boldness, as I had known that he would. We both stood, facing each other, not moving for a long few seconds. Eventually, Robb walked up to me and took my arm again, leading me back to the dining hall. I smiled up at him. He was an honorable man, just like his father. A man that could be trustworthy.

Much to my surprise, the corners of Robb's lips were tilted up. At least I hadn't overstepped things. Finally, Robb asked, "Why do I get the feeling you'll end up getting me in trouble?"

"What fun is life without a little trouble?" I teased.

Robb stopped walking suddenly and I stopped with him. We turned into each other, each smiling slightly, daring the other to make the first move. I had no idea what came next. No one had taken an interest in me so suddenly as Robb had. Before either one of us got the chance to say anything, a tall figure bounded up to us.

"Rhaeyna," Sansa chirped, smiling at me and giving her brother a brief nod. I grinned back at her. "Would you like to join us?"

It was surprisingly difficult to finally break eye contact with Robb. "I would love that. Thank you for inviting me," I told Sansa gently. She smiled excitedly as I turned to Robb. "And thank you for escorting me."

"My pleasure," Robb said. He leaned down and kissed the back of my hand as I smiled at him. I could hear Sansa giggling in the background. "I'll see you again soon?"

"That would seem likely as we are now neighbors," I teased him.

Robb smiled in amusement as Sansa reached over and took my hand, leading me toward the dining hall. On our way there, we chatted quietly about her home. She was thrilled to point out every little bit of her home. I could see just how proud she was of it. Sansa led me into the dining hall and pointed to the far end. The entire hall was filled with loud and boisterous men and women who all appeared to be in high spirits - laughing and dancing and eating. Ned and Catelyn sat at a high table. Their kids were at the first table, the boys on one side and the girls on another.

"Are dinners always this loud?" I asked Sansa, almost having to yell for her to hear me.

Sansa shook her head. "Only feasts. We wanted to welcome you as best we could."

"I certainly feel welcomed," I told her, walking to the table. We took a seat just in front of Catelyn, picking food off of large platters in the center of the wooden table. "This dress. You made it."

Sansa nodded. "I did."

"Its beauty is unparalleled. As is its maker," I said. Sansa blushed slightly. "Can you make trousers?"

"Yes," Sansa said.

That would have made me feel much more at home. "Will you make me a pair?" I asked her. She looked a little baffled at my request but nodded anyway. "I'm not a half-bad artist but I'm lousy with a sewing needle. I came up with a few ideas on my way here. Ned tells me that he'll have someone alter a new wardrobe, but I can tell that you have an eye for beautiful things."

"I would be honored," Sansa said.

"Have you ever seen a dragon?" Arya asked suddenly, dropping down into the seat on my other side.

"No, my dear," I said, smiling at her. "They died out long before I was even born."

"Arya!" Sansa snapped.

I turned back to Sansa and waved her off. "It's alright. I have a little sister myself," I explained.

It had been part of my childhood, getting used to Dany popping in and out of conversations whenever she felt like it. I had always been a lot more tolerant of it than Viserys had. "So, you know how annoying they can be," Sansa grumbled.

Giggling slightly, I nodded. "That I do. But I also know that I would kill a man who dared hurt her. My little sister is both my best friend and my worst enemy. But, at the end of the day, she is my family and families need to stick together. She knows me better than anyone else," I said, looking between the two girls, both of whom were shifting slightly in their seats. "There are days that I want to kill Daenerys. But I would kill for her any day."

It was the truth. If a man ever dared to make a move for her, I would cut their head off. I loved her more than anything else in the world, just as she loved me more than anything else. We had our moments, but we would always love each other. The two sisters looked at each other for a brief moment and grumbled slightly. They didn't want to admit that they loved each other. I smiled at their awkwardness as I went back to my food. It was heavier than I was used to, but I was actually pleasantly surprised at the taste. It wasn't half-bad.

As Arya pointed out, it probably helped that they had wine laid out on the table. Southern wine, as Catelyn had told me when she'd come over halfway through the meal. I had been sure to tell her that it was much appreciated. Many people around the hall looked at me throughout the meal, and many came to speak with me, but I refused to be shaken. I simply smiled and thanked them for their hospitality, even if it wasn't completely genuine on their part. Whether or not they knew it, everyone here would eventually come around to me.

Robb's P.O.V.

Robb had spent most of the feast watching her. She was only a few seats down from him, so he tried to keep his gaze from being too obvious. But it wasn't easy. He was entranced with watching her. Rhaeyna Targaryen. One of the last members of her family. She was absolutely beautiful - a trait that Targaryen's had always been known for. Her white-blonde hair trailed down her back in an intricate braid and her violet eyes pierced through each and every person that she smiled at. She was easily the most recognizable person in the room.

He had noticed the first time that he'd met her that Rhaeyna smiled a lot. She had a charming smile to most of them. But he could have sworn that there was something different in her eyes when she smiled at him. There was something sparkling in those lovely violet eyes. A sense of danger. A little hint of life that told him that Rhaeyna was different than any other woman he'd ever met - and not just because she was a Targaryen. Perhaps that was what was drawing him to her. He knew that he wasn't the only man to watch her. Most of the men in the hall watched her every move.

"Stark's got his eyes on the Targaryen girl," Theon joked.

The boys around them all began laughing. Robb looked up with a slight scowl. He and Theon had competed for the affections a few local girls before. "At least she's given me a second look since arriving, Greyjoy," Robb shot back.

"I could use to see if she's got fire in her blood," Theon said, making the others laugh again.

Another one of their friends, a young blacksmith's son named Aran, shoved into Theon's side. "Greyjoy, we all know that she's got higher standards than you," Aran said.

"Haven't seen her even look at you," Theon snapped.

"That's because she's been watching you," Jon said, looking at Robb.

Robb's face colored slightly. He didn't really know what to say about Rhaeyna and he knew that everyone was curious about them since they had walked in together. "I did what father told me and brought her here," Robb said noncommittally.

"Care to bring her back to your bed, Stark?" Theon asked.

Even though Robb didn't love when Theon started talking about women the way that he did, he began laughing along with the other men who were at the table with them. Robb had touched one woman before, just a year prior. He hadn't brought her to bed with him, but she had been there and waiting. She hadn't been the only one. Robb had only walked away from her because he had never wanted to bring a bastard into the world. Most of which his ideals on came from growing up with Jon. But seeing a woman like Rhaeyna almost made him want to break that vow.

It didn't take long before the boys at the table began making crude jeers and jokes about Rhaeyna or being in bed with her. What was under her clothes and how many men she might have been with already - those in the Free Cities and perhaps even her own brother. Robb listened and laughed for a while before finally tuning out of the conversation. Instead of laughing with them, Robb just watched her. She was at the other end of the table, laughing with Sansa and Arya. It was the first time he had seen his sisters getting along with each other in a while.

All because of her. It was an interesting moment. She was destined to be an interesting addition to Winterfell. He found himself extremely eager to see what her life in Winterfell would bring. Rhaeyna looked up after a long while of Robb staring at her and met his eyes. His green ones almost flicked away in embarrassment at being caught before he realized something. She didn't look disgusted by his obvious stare. She actually let a small smile spread over her lips. He responded with one of his own. Deciding to go for it, Robb rose from his spot at the table.

"Stark?" Theon asked.

"Robb? What are you doing?" Jon asked.

But Robb was determined. He waltzed to the other end of the table where the three women had been sitting. "Girls. May I interrupt?" Robb asked, breaking up a conversation between Rhaeyna and his sisters. Sansa and Arya both laughed quietly and nodded. Robb turned to Rhaeyna and extended his hand. "Care to dance?"

"I've got a funny feeling that we don't know the same dances," Rhaeyna admitted.

"I'll teach you," Robb offered.

She smiled before turning back to his sisters. "Can we continue our little history lesson another time?" she asked them.

Both girls nodded excitedly. Robb knew that he would never hear the end of this as the two of them shot Robb knowing smiles. He didn't mind. In fact, he thought that it was rather funny. It was the happiest that he had seen his sisters when they were together for a long time. Robb rolled his eyes at his sisters and let Rhaeyna take his hand. She stepped out from behind the table to let Robb bring her to the center of the hall where couples and families were dancing together. Robb took one of Rhaeyna's hands and laid the other on her waist as a slow ballad took up the room.

It took her a moment to learn the steps. But Robb held onto her hip tightly, gently pushing her back and forth to the music. She never once broke eye contact from him to look down at her feet as most people would do when they were learning a new dance. She seemed to be quite confident in her steps, even though she clearly didn't know them. Her hand wrapped up to rest against the back of his neck. Robb smiled down at her as they took up their dance in the center of the room. Most of the people in the hall were watching them dance.

"What history lesson were you teaching them?" Robb finally asked.

"Oh, I was feeding to their interests," Rhaeyna explained. Robb raised an eyebrow. "Tell Arya all about the powerful women of the Targaryen line. Even those who rode their own dragons. Tell Sansa all about the notable beauty of my ancestors."

"That's the friendliest I've seen them in a long time," Robb commented.

"I hate to see a family not getting along. They're lucky to have one at all," Rhaeyna said quietly.

"You have one too," Robb pointed out.

She still had her siblings. That had to count for something. "But no parents. No real home. No place that we belong," Rhaeyna said. Robb's face fell into a thin line. What would it have been like to be raised without a real place to belong? When Rhaeyna spoke again, her voice had returned to its gentle lilt from before. "Is that pity that I see in your eyes, Robb Stark?"

At least she had a good sense of humor. "I just think what it would have been like to grow up as an urchin," Robb admitted.

"Demeaning," Rhaeyna answered.

Robb's face flushed. "I'm sorry -"

"Don't apologize," Rhaeyna interrupted, running her thumb over the back of his hand. "It's not your fault and you've welcomed me graciously."

"I would want someone to do the same for me," Robb said, squeezing her waist gently.

Rhaeyna smiled at Robb as they swayed back and forth. Her eyes brightened slightly as she stared back over Robb's shoulder. "Perhaps one day I'll show you my home," Rhaeyna said. Robb raised a brow. He had never even thought to visit the Free Cities. "Not Essos or Pentos. Dragonstone."

"Do you plan on returning?" Robb asked curiously.

Rhaeyna's lips tilted up in a mischievous smile. "I have many plans, Robb. I don't plan on sitting on my ass and letting a man run my life. I plan to arrange my own destiny," she said.

_A strong-willed woman_... "You are so much different than anyone I have ever met before," Robb said, smiling bemusedly.

"Can I take that as a good thing?" Rhaeyna asked curiously.

"Yes," Robb said immediately.

She was nothing like any of the people he knew in the North. She wasn't even like the few people he had met who had ventured here from the southern ends of Westeros. She was completely different. He assumed that he was different from any men Rhaeyna had met too, considering the fact that she seemed interested in him too. Robb spun Rhaeyna around on the dance floor for a while, enjoying the gentle music. Robb noticed quickly that Rhaeyna was incredibly steady on her feet. She seemed to have already managed to learn the dance.

An intelligent woman above all else. Robb wasn't really sure how long passed that the two of them danced together. They didn't say much as they spun about the floor together. Only exchanging the occasional comment with the other - Robb complimenting her natural dancing skills and Rhaeyna commenting that he made a good partner. They didn't need to speak to each other though. They settled for mostly remaining locked eye-to-eye. Her eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement. Robb knew that his eyes were dark with desire for her. She must have known, but she said nothing.

Something he was incredibly grateful for, seeing as he hadn't exactly made his desire for her a secret. "Rhaeyna," Eraesella - Rhaeyna's maid - called from behind them. Rhaeyna stepped out of his arms slightly but didn't pull completely away. Eraesella turned to Robb and bowed. "My lord."

"Ella," Rhaeyna replied, smiling at her.

"It is late and you've had a long journey. We should be getting you ready for bed," Eraesella recommended.

A groan worked its way up in Robb's throat. "Yes, of course. I wouldn't want to overstep my welcome," Rhaeyna told Robb.

"You aren't," Robb said honestly. He could have danced with her all night. Rhaeyna smiled at him as she placed a small kiss against his cheek and pulled away. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Will you show me around Winterfell?" Rhaeyna asked.

"Anything you'd like to see," Robb told her.

Rhaeyna smiled at him. "Then I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Rhae," Robb said.

Her eyes started twinkling again. "Goodnight, Robb."

Before she walked away, Robb took her hand and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand again. He saw her laughing quietly at his formality. It was more because he wanted to impress her - as embarrassing as that might have been. Rhaeyna bowed her head slightly to Robb before turning and walking off with Eraesella at her side. The two appeared to be chatting quite amicably as they walked up to his parents and thanked them for the meal. In the meantime, Robb returned to his seat at the table and continued to ignore the others. Even as they asked him what had happened with Rhaeyna.

When the feast ended just under an hour later and Robb had returned to his room, just a few down from where Rhaeyna was now staying, he found himself staring up at the ceiling, thinking of the girl in question. He certainly wouldn't be the only man thinking about Rhaeyna tonight, but he seemed to have been the only man she had shown any hint of an interest in. She wasn't just beautiful - though she certainly was. She was witty, smart, and funny. Something he had rarely found. For the first time in his life, Robb had found someone that made his heart race.

Rhaeyna's P.O.V.

Mere moments after saying goodnight to the Starks and thanking them for their hospitality, Eraesella and I walked back to our room. I was glad that she remembered where we were going because I certainly didn't. Eraesella didn't seem thrilled with the idea of being in Winterfell. She had always liked Pentos - at least, she seemed to have liked it enough. This was not even close to being her home. She hadn't said anything yet, but I knew that she hated being here and was furious I had brought her. As we walked back to my room, I noticed that Daris was still standing guard.

"You don't have to stay here all night. I'm perfectly safe," I told Daris.

There were a few spare rooms set aside for Daris and Eraesella to stay in. "Perhaps in a few nights," Daris told me seriously.

I smiled at him. "Goodnight, Daris."

He would be waiting outside of my room for at least a fortnight before even considering sleeping in his own room. Even then, he would likely still wake up in the middle of the night to ensure that I hadn't been slaughtered in my sleep. I sidestepped Daris and walked back into my room, allowing Eraesella to come in behind me and close the door. I let out a soft breath as I walked into the bathroom, pulled the cloak off, and allowed Eraesella to undo the laces on my dress. I let it slip to the floor as I pulled on a fur robe that had been left out for me by a chambermaid.

As we walked back to the bedroom, I took my spot in the furs, allowing Eraesella to undo the braid. She was halfway down when she seemed to finally be unable to hold her thoughts in for any longer. "You didn't come here for the boy."

I'd known that she wasn't happy with my dance with Robb. "I know. I never said anything about the boy," I told her.

"He has that stupid look in his eyes that men get when they're falling in love," Eraesella scoffed.

"He doesn't know me," I argued.

"But you are beautiful," Eraesella said, running her fingers through my hair. I smiled at her. "And if I know you at all, I know that you've noticed his attraction and have done nothing to deter it."

"What's so wrong with that?" I asked her irritably.

Men were allowed to run rampant. Why were women not? "People forget themselves when they're in love," Eraesella said.

"You're jumping ahead. I just met Robb Stark today," I said.

Eraesella pulled my hair flat over my shoulder and moved back in front of me. "I've known you your entire life, Rhae. I've never seen you look at someone the way you looked at him," Eraesella said slowly, holding my hands in her lap.

She was just imagining things... "Leave me, Ella. I need to be alone with my thoughts for a while," I said gently.

Eraesella nodded. "Remember what you came here for."

"I know what I came here for. No one will change that," I snapped.

"I'm sorry if I've overstepped," she said quietly.

"Never," I replied immediately, forcing a smile on my face. "I just need to be alone."

"Goodnight, Rhae."

"Goodnight, Ella."

It had been a long past month for everyone. It was time for all of us to go to sleep and prepare to face the new reality of our lives in the morning. That wasn't something we could do if we were bickering. We needed some sleep and rest. As Eraesella brushed the hair back off of my forehead, she pressed a small kiss against my forehead and turned to leave. Once she was gone, I walked over to my desk and dropped down at the wood chair in front of it. I gazed out the open window and sighed. Eraesella was right. Robb Stark could certainly pose a problem if I wasn't careful.

But that was when the thought occurred to me. Maybe I didn't have to completely sever any potential ties with Robb. Maybe he could be of great assistance to me. There was a chance that Robb's obvious attraction could end up being of great use to me. I knew that the people of the North loved Robb and trusted him. Getting on his good side would be a perfect door for me to get to their good sides. I needed that. I might have liked Robb already, but this was about the Iron Throne. It always had been and always would be.

All I knew was that there was no clear-cut answer. This was something that I would have to explore in time. That was something that I had plenty of. There was no certain amount of time that I would be here. It could have ended up being a long trip. Eventually, I leaned forward and grabbed a blank roll of parchment and raven-feather quill to write a letter to Dany. She would already know that I had arrived in Winterfell safely, but this was now something that only my sister could help me with. I wrote the letter in High Valyrian, just in case it was intercepted.

_ Dany,_

_ Gods I miss you. Even Viserys. Don't let him know that I said that. We're in Winterfell and settling in for the first night. Everyone has been kind. The weather here is brutal but there is a beauty about it._

_ I've met Ned Stark's family, including his eldest son, Robb Stark. You don't need me to tell you where this is going. The Stark men are notable for being handsome. The longer I think about it, the more inclined I am to wonder, could an alliance with the North be worked this way? I was more inclined to use a threat, but they already know those from the Usurper. Perhaps this time the way to them is through their hearts._

_ Take care, Dany. Both of you. I love you._

_ Rhae._

If anyone could help me figure out what was going on, it was Dany. She had always been good to talk things out with. My only problem was that she was a romantic at heart. She would tell me to try and see what could have been with Robb. I rolled up the small piece of parchment and left it on the corner of my desk so that I could have it sent first thing in the morning. In the meantime, I rose from the desk and walked back over to my bed, dropping down onto it. A feather bed, soft and welcoming. Just as Winterfell had been.

My first night here made me nervous. It was like finally having to break from my family back in Pentos. But they were still there, waiting for me, and I would eventually return to them. My journey here would have to be worth it. I wasn't leaving them for nothing. I would figure this out and then go back to them. We could all then return to Westeros for a final time where we would end up on the Iron Throne. No matter what it took. Even if it meant befriending the very people who had helped kill and exile my family.

For a long time, I laid in bed and stared up at the stone ceiling. The chill was finally settling into the room, forcing me to dig further under the fur blankets and turn toward the roaring fire. I looked into the fireplace, watching as the flames crackled off of my dragon eggs. As I finally managed to drift off to sleep hours later, I dreamt of warm weather, my sister at my side, with six hulking figures standing around us. I dreamt that, for once, the entire world recognized me as the blood of the dragon.

**A/N:** If you've read any of my other stories, welcome back! If you're a new reader, welcome! I can't focus on any one story for too long so, surprise, surprise, I'm onto another story. For reference, Rhaeyna is a year older than Robb and this story begins a year prior to the events of Game of Thrones. Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you've enjoyed! Until next time -A


	2. Author's Note (Please Read)

Hello everyone!

As always, thank you so much for reading, reviewing and anything else you may be doing with these stories. It definitely brings a smile to my face, knowing that people are enjoying something I put so much work into.

That being said, I wanted to give you guys a brief update as to why my updates have been coming slower than normal. I've recently been having some health issues. Nothing life-threatening but definitely painful. It makes it hard to sit up and focus for long periods of time without the pain setting in. I'm hoping that after getting a definite diagnosis (tomorrow, if I'm lucky) I'll be on the road to recovery.

I've still been writing for short bursts of time but not quite enough to get out a full update. Regardless, I'm still writing. I just wanted to give you guys some insight as to why I haven't been as active on here as of late.

Thank you so much for your understanding and patience as I get myself back on the right track. I love each and every one of you so much!

As always, until next time -A


	3. Chapter 2

I'd been awake for less than a minute when there was a soft knock at the door that I could only assume would be Eraesella. I rolled over in the feather bed the Stark's had given me, still curled happily into my furs. It was far too warm in Pentos to sleep as I could in Winterfell, though I did miss the comfort of my siblings. On a normal day in Pentos, particularly when we were younger, Dany would have barged into my room unannounced, bouncing into bed with me. We would have laid in bed together all day until Viserys had come to get us.

Sometimes even he would join us. I missed those days. "Rhaeyna," Eraesella's voice called from the doorway. "Wake up."

Just about the last thing I wanted to do was wake up. I was still exhausted from the long journey to Winterfell and wanted to take these early days to catch up on my sleep. I slowly rolled over in the feather bed, staring up at the stone ceiling of the castle. Ella was standing in the doorway though it was closed behind her. I rolled slightly onto my side to look out the window. There was a chill in the air that blew into the room through the glass, but I liked it. The furs made it bearable, as did the fire that continued to roar in the corner, my dragon eggs still basking in the flames.

Eventually, I looked back at Ella. "Good morning, Ella," I said quietly.

Ella crossed the room and threw the blinds the rest of the way open. I let out a pathetic groan as I threw my arms over my eyes. "Time to get up," Ella ordered. I could hear the people of Winterfell wandering through the yard. "The Starks have prepared breakfast for you."

Another meal? I was so used to having to hunt for food with Dany and Viserys. "They're quite welcoming," I commented.

I'd been expecting perhaps one welcoming meal. After that, I had figured I would have to fend for myself. It was nice to see that I wouldn't. Ella arched a brow. "The Young Wolf more than any of them," she said suspiciously.

I sat up in bed and rested a hand against Ella's shoulder. "Relax, Ella. You're still my favorite. You always will be," I teased.

Her lips didn't twitch up in amusement as they normally did. "I worry about you."

"I'm aware," I interrupted. Ella scowled at me. "Sorry. Continue."

Ella strode around for a moment before coming to a stop in front of my bed. "You came here for one reason. Not that you've quite explained that reason to either of us," Ella said. I gave her a slight smile. They would know in due time. I couldn't risk my truth getting out yet. "That reason, I would assume, does not include the handsome Stark boy."

"Just because he's handsome doesn't mean that I'll forget what I came here for," I said defensively. Ella's face displayed no emotion. "I know what I came here for. That doesn't mean I can't also enjoy myself."

Ella didn't look pleased with my answer. "You're not a common whore. Remember that."

Why was it that I was being called a whore for being interested in Robb Stark? Ella would never say it out loud, but I knew she didn't approve of my rather loose morals when it came to someone attractive of the opposite gender. I'd never cared, though. If the admiration was the other way around, they would have all thought that Robb was just interested in a pretty face. That wasn't something I could or would tolerate. Not even from one of my oldest friends. I was allowed to have a social life, even if that social life wasn't considered to be acceptable.

"A fascinating double-edged sword, isn't it?" I asked sharply.

Ella's face dropped. "What do you mean?"

My jaws ground together as I straightened up in bed. "If a man walks into his bed on his wedding night inexperienced, he's laughed at. If a woman walks into her bed on her wedding night inexperienced, she makes the perfect bride," I told her. Ella merely stared at me blankly. "What's the difference? Just because he's got a cock?"

It was one of the only times I'd seen Ella at a loss for words. She looked guilty. "Rhaeyna -"

"No more," I interrupted rather harshly, much more than I had initially been expecting. Ella looked shocked at my sudden change of demeanor. "My aptitude will not be determined by what I do in the midnight hours."

Ella paled in embarrassment slightly. "My apologies."

Her words were bad enough, but the slight bow she gave me sent a spike of guilt through my chest. "Don't do that. It makes me feel guilty for having said anything in the first place," I told her.

"If this is truly what you want, you'll have to get used to saying some very stern things to the people you love the most," Ella pointed out.

"Understood," I muttered.

A few moments passed during which I stared shamefully at my lap. I loved Ella dearly and couldn't imagine when the day would come that I had to rule over her. She had always taken care of me. "That being said," Ella began as I looked back to her, "I can see where you're drawn into the Young Wolf."

"I'm not drawn into him," I said just as defensively as I had before.

But Ella knew me better than I knew myself at times. "Don't you lie to me," Ella barked. I scowled at her. I was lying to many people but she wasn't one of them. "As you said, we've been friends for a long time. I can see right through you and your lies."

"I'm not lying," I argued.

Ella's face softened after a moment. "Rhaeyna," she began patronizingly. I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "You're away from your friends and family for the first time in your life. It could help to find someone new to trust."

Trust wasn't something that could easily be won. I liked Robb Stark just fine. Trusting him was something else entirely. "Can I trust him, though?" I asked.

"That's a question that you'll have to find the answer to yourself," Ella said.

Just like when I was a child, there were certain problems Ella would make me solve myself. "Of course," I sighed, grinning.

We exchanged a brief smile that reminded me that we were still friends before all else. She was my best friend and the only person I felt I could turn to beside Daenerys. I reached out and took Ella's hand, kissing the back of it briefly before releasing it and rising from the bed. She smiled complacently as I turned to the door. A future queen's work was never done. Today was officially where my reign would begin - regardless of whether the people of Winterfell knew it. Ella looked at me as I walked to the desk and picked up the letter I'd written to Dany last night.

It would be torture, waiting for potentially weeks for Dany to respond. I turned and handed the unsealed letter to Ella. "Get this to Daenerys, as soon as possible."

Ella looked down at the letter and nodded. "Written in High Valyrian. That's smart."

"Just in case the letter falls into the wrong hands. There are few speakers of the language here," I explained.

It was a trick she had taught both Dany and myself when we were younger. Never write to each other in the Common Tongue. Ella folded the letter up and looked back at my disheveled state. "Do you need me to help you get ready?" she offered.

I smiled. "No, I have a different idea in mind."

Without giving her a moment to complain about my outfit - which I knew she would - I bounded happily over to the door. "Oh, Rhaeyna, at least put on a dressing robe," Ella yelped, pushing herself out of my bed.

"Why?" I asked curiously, turning back to her.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Modesty, Rhaeyna. If you want to be a queen, people will have to respect you," Ella explained. I stared at her blankly. It was just a simple sleeping gown. It was hardly any different than the gowns I'd worn in Pentos. "And it's cold."

Now that was a good reason. "Fair point," I conceded.

Not that I cared much about what the people in Winterfell thought of me or the way I dressed, but I didn't care for the weather. Though it did appear to be getting a little warmer around this time of year, it was still far icier than I had ever dealt with in Pentos. I reached into my wardrobe Ella had organized yesterday and picked up a thick black robe, tightening it around my waist. It went to the floor and dipped at the chest slightly, making it obvious that I hadn't gotten dressed but not so revealing that I would be embarrassed if I ran into anyone.

"Better?" I asked Ella, turning and showing off my lovely ensemble.

Ella didn't look thrilled, but she nodded anyway. "Decent enough." She watched as I walked back to the door. "Where are you going?"

I turned back with a playful smile. "To plant seeds."

"Rhae?" Ella asked.

"I'll see you at breakfast," I called back to her.

Ella's voice followed me out into the hallway but I didn't listen to her. This was something I would have to do on my own. We could talk about it later. I darted out of the room and out into the warm hallway. All eyes immediately turned to me. Some were servants and others appeared to be guards. Many gave me strange looks but all gave me polite nods, though they didn't last more than a few seconds. It didn't matter to me, I responded to them all with a bright smile of my own. I knew that I looked strange and there was no need to be making enemies this early on.

It was only when I'd passed the tenth maid that I realized I had lost track of where I was and had been walking at least ten minutes. I didn't know where I was in the castle. Everything looked the same and I'd never asked where the room I was looking for was located. I was lost. I stopped short and looked around, hoping something familiar might jump out at me. I didn't want to have to knock on a random door and ask for directions. I whipped back and forth, confused out of my wits until I finally spotted something familiar.

"Robb," I called out.

Robb Stark stopped short and turned back to face me, a grin plastered across his lips. "Rhaeyna," he greeted, looking me up and down. His eyebrows creased at my clothing. "That's an interesting choice of clothing you've made."

"Funny," I barked as he walked up to me. "I was looking for your sister's room."

"Arya?" Robb asked.

"Sansa, as a matter of fact," I informed him.

As much as I did enjoy Arya's company, she wasn't the one I was looking for right now. Robb looked surprised that it was his red-headed sister I was looking for, but he nodded anyway. "I'll bring you there," he offered.

"Thank you," I chirped.

It was a good thing I'd run into Robb or else I would have been wandering the halls all morning. He offered me his hand as he came up to my side and I smiled, linking arms with him. He laid his spare hand over mine as the two of us wandered back down the hallway I'd just come from. Some whispers erupted on each side of us from both nobles and commoners. At this point, it wouldn't take long for the two of us to become the talk of Winterfell, but I didn't mind. Keeping people talking about me would make it that much easier for me to insert myself into their lives.

Not to mention that I enjoyed the few bits of time I'd spent with Robb so far. While I liked all of the Stark's perfectly well, Robb was already the one whose company I sought out. "Is the offer of a tour still on the table?" I asked curiously, after a moment of silence.

Robb smiled. "It would be my honor. After breakfast?"

"I'd like that," I answered.

Robb's eyes followed the outline of my clothing. "Will you be wearing two different coats?"

I barked out a chipper laugh. Maybe Ella was right to tell me to change before leaving... "I'll eventually learn how to dress in the North. It was just so warm in Pentos. I'm used to wearing thin silks not layers of cotton and wool," I explained.

"I can't even imagine living somewhere like that," Robb said.

"It wasn't exactly home," I told him. There had never really been a place to call home. Not even that home with the red door Dany had loved so much. A smile tilted up on my face at the memories of running through the halls of the house. "But it had its moments."

We smiled at each other as we continued to walk. It was only a few more steps before we came to stop at a wooden door similar to my own that Robb knocked on. "You were close," Robb said, looking back at me. The door opened a moment later to reveal Catelyn Stark. Sansa was sitting on a chair just behind her. Robb smiled at his mother. "Mother. Sansa. You have a visitor."

"Good morning, Catelyn," I greeted, stepping up alongside Robb.

"Rhaeyna," Catelyn greeted in response. "I trust you slept well?"

"Wonderfully, thank you," I said honestly, dipping my head slightly. "Those fur pelts you use are glorious. I'll have to bring some back to Pentos with me. My sister would love them."

Catelyn gave a stiff smile. "Of course. We would be happy to have some made."

She sounded like she would be thrilled to do that. Robb laid a hand on my shoulder and I turned back, having almost forgotten he was there. "You seem to be in good hands here. I'll see you at breakfast, then," he told me.

"Thank you for your help," I told him. Robb made the slight incline of his head before turning and walking off. I turned back to Catelyn and motioned into Sansa's room. "May I?"

"Yes," Catelyn said, stepping to the side and letting me enter the room. "Come in."

She closed the door behind me as I walked up to Sansa with a small smile on my face. "Good morning, Sansa," I told her gently.

"Rhaeyna," Sansa greeted, smiling brightly. "What are you doing here?"

Just as I had told Ella before leaving, I was planting seeds with the Stark family. "When I lived in the Free Cities as a child, my hair grew out so long that I had to braid it to keep it from trailing on the ground behind us. We didn't want anyone to step on it as we were running for our lives. My sister, Daenerys, learned how to braid. She used to do the most intricate ones," I explained, gently fingering at the long strands of hair that were laying over my shoulder. "They were beautiful."

"Did she do the one you had in yesterday?" Sansa asked curiously.

"Yes, she did. I've kept it in for the past month to remind me of her," I answered honestly.

"I missed my sister very much when I first came to Winterfell," Catelyn put in, walking over to us.

"It's hard leaving family," I said.

"It is," Catelyn agreed.

Perhaps the two of us didn't like each other very much. Perhaps we were completely different people. The one thing we did have in common was that we both knew what it was like to walk away from the family we wanted to protect. Sansa seemed to sense the tenseness in the room as she said, "I can't do that one, but I can put in another if you would like."

She was still pointing to the complicated plait Dany had put in my hair before I'd left Pentos. I fingered through my hair with a little pang in my chest. Sansa did so remind me of my sister. "I'd love that," I told Sansa, smiling at the prideful look on her face. "You know, Sansa, you remind me in some ways of my sister."

Sansa's eyes brightened, just the way Dany's used to do when I told her I had a surprise for her. "I do?" Sansa asked excitedly.

"You do," I said.

For once, I wasn't lying or embellishing the truth to the Stark's. Sansa genuinely did remind me of Daenerys. They weren't the same kind of people, but the way they smiled at me when I praised them... It was almost like looking into my sister's violet eyes. Sansa and I smiled at each other as I walked across the room and took a seat in a large wooden chair to allow Sansa a chance to do my hair. Catelyn watched out of the corner of her eyes as she cleaned up her daughter's mess. I relaxed slightly as Sansa began tugging at my hair. It reminded me of the way Dany had always done it.

Her fingers and short nails gently ran across my scalp and I smiled, resting my hands gently in my lap. I wished so desperately for a brief moment that I was back in Pentos with my siblings. "Will your siblings be joining us?" Catelyn asked after a few minutes, shattering the peaceful silence.

The image of Viserys in Winterfell was enough to send me into a mild fit of giggles. "That's highly unlikely. They're safer in Pentos, you understand," I told her. Catelyn gave me a long stare before eventually nodding. Dany had begun panicking for my safety immediately; Viserys had told me there was no way I would survive here. "I took a great risk coming out here. I don't intend to have them follow in that risk."

"It was a brave move for you," Catelyn said.

"It seems to have paid off so far," I said vaguely.

So far my time in Winterfell had been exactly what I'd wanted it to and even more. I'd been expecting to be around a stuffy royal family who held a long-standing hatred for mine. That wasn't completely incorrect - Catelyn seemed to hold an intense dislike for me and Ned didn't enjoy that I could hold something serious over his head. Sansa began giggling behind me, distracting me from my thoughts. I looked up from her work on my new braid and smiled up at the young girl. I already knew what she was laughing at, but I would play into it anyway.

Catelyn's reaction could prove amusing. "Something funny?" I asked the red-headed girl.

"It's just that Robb likes you," Sansa said, still giggling.

My face took on a reddish hue as I laughed with her. "Sansa!" Catelyn gasped, horrified that her daughter would give away her son's desire.

I smiled at Catelyn and shook my head. "It's alright. Men are always drawn in by a pretty face. Remember that," I told Sansa before turning back to her mother. "But you've raised an upstanding young man. Robb has been nothing but kind to me since my arrival."

"That's good to hear," Catelyn said, actually sounding relieved.

"Do you like him?" Sansa prodded.

"Sansa!" Catelyn repeated.

"It's fine," I told Catelyn, waving her off again. Talking about Robb with his sister didn't bother me in the slightest. I turned back to Sansa and smiled at her. "From what I've seen of your brother so far, yes, I do like him."

It looked like Sansa wanted to keep pressing the relationship, but Catelyn put a stop to it there. "Sansa, enough. I'm certain that Rhaeyna doesn't want to hear about fantasies."

"As I'm certain that your mother doesn't want to hear about her son's private thoughts," I added, smiling at Catelyn.

Catelyn shifted uncomfortably at my mention of her son's activities, just as I'd known she would. "Robb is a young man already. I expected it," she said confidently. For a moment, I thought she would end it there, but she continued. "After all, Targaryens are known for their beauty."

Though Catelyn wore a smile on her face, I suspected that her comment was a thinly veiled insult. I didn't know how, but I knew Catelyn was looking for any way to incriminate me to her family. "Thank you," I said tersely.

"Do you look like your mother?" Sansa asked, not sensing the tension in the room.

A lump formed in my throat as I stared at the floor. Even Catelyn looked like she might have felt the slightest bit bad for me. She must have known the story about my parents. "I don't know," I admitted. "She died before I could remember her."

"I'm sorry," Sansa whispered.

"Don't be sorry, dear. It's been a long time and I never had the chance to know them. There was no relationship to mourn," I told Sansa. She nodded as I swallowed thickly, desperate to change the conversation. "People say I have my father's bearing. But we all have those same traits."

"They're beautiful," Sansa said, running her fingers through my hair. "I wish I had your hair."

"Never wish you looked like someone else. You are beautiful just the way you are. That hair is lovely," I said, turning back and fingering the end of her long red strands. "It reminds me of fire."

"Thank you," Sansa said bashfully.

There was a long period of silence that extended after that. None of us knew what to say after the tense conversation. It wasn't often I liked talking about my parents. Dany had asked me about them frequently as we'd grown up but I had always told her I couldn't remember them. It was mostly the truth. I had very few memories of either one of them. I remembered our mother singing to me sometimes. The only thing I genuinely remembered about my father was his hulking figure. I swallowed again, blinking back tears that had formed.

Anything else was better than thinking about the untimely loss of my parents. "Like most of my ancestors before me, I was named for another Targaryen," I continued suddenly. Sansa's fingers stilled in my hair for a moment. "Queen Rhaenys Targaryen."

"Who was she?" Sansa asked curiously.

"She was the younger of Aegon the Conqueror's sister-wives," I explained. Catelyn shifted, visibly uncomfortable. "She was his favorite wife and the mother of Aenys I, making her the mother of the Targaryen line that would rule over the Seven Kingdoms for the next three-hundred years. Rhaenys was extremely beautiful and had shared our famous Valyrian features. Rhaenys was described as being more playful, wild and mischievous than her sister. And more of a flirt. Legend has it that she shared her bed with several other men when her brother was with Visenya - her sister. That being said, Aegon spent ten nights with Rhaenys for every night he spent with her older sister."

There was a long period of silence. Catelyn looked mortified by my story but Sansa had a starry gaze in her eyes. Of course. A woman who had seen far too much of the world and a little girl who still believed in fairy tales. "She sounds incredible," Sansa breathed.

"I believe she was," I said. "Queen Rhaenys was said to love music, poetry, and deeply enjoyed riding her dragon Meraxes, often flying twice as much as Visenya."

"Would you ever want a dragon?" Sansa asked curiously.

For a moment I thought about telling Sansa about my dragon eggs, but I didn't want to say it with Catelyn right there. "I would love a dragon. But they're long gone," I said sadly.

There was only a brief silence before Catelyn said, "The Targaryen's have always wed those from their own House."

She was referencing my story about Rhaenys and her relationship with her brother. Incest was highly prevalent in the Targaryen family and I had even seen a bit of it in the way Viserys looked at Daenerys and myself sometimes. It had occurred to me a few times over the years that it might have been easiest to just marry Viserys and have children with him. Between the three of us, we could begin to rebuild the Targaryen empire. It would help our House, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The idea of being with my brother sent chills of disgust down my spine.

Dany had once asked me about it, but I would be damned if I ever let Viserys lay a hand on her. She was too gentle. I wasn't. "Is that your way of asking me if Daenerys and I plan to wed Viserys?" I asked Catelyn bluntly.

Her face turned as red as her hair. "I've overstepped my bounds," Catelyn said bashfully.

"No. You have every right to ask, considering the history of my House. No. I'd sooner throw my brother from a cliff than wed him," I said. Catelyn looked surprised at my tone but Sansa let out a small giggle. "I love him, but I will never marry him. Neither will my sister. If and when the day comes that I wed, it will be to someone I love."

Much to my surprise, Catelyn's face turned up in a small smile. No one married for love. It was alliances. "That's a sweet sentiment."

"Being highborn doesn't condition us to a life of alliances and proposals. We allow it to happen," I told her. It wasn't fair to be with someone I didn't love just for an army or castle. It wasn't worth it. "I will not."

"I wish I had a sister like you," Sansa said dreamily.

The last thing I wanted was to accidentally pit the two very different Stark girls against each other. Their relationship already seemed frail. "But you don't. You have a sister like your own," I told her. Catelyn was staring at me as I reached up and pat Sansa on the arm. "Don't count Arya out just yet. I bet you that the day will come that you'll look back on these days of fruitless fighting and laugh about how silly you both were."

"Maybe," Sansa muttered. Definitely. They were little kids. They would grow out of their silly rivalry in a few years. A few seconds passed where we all sat in silence before I felt Sansa's hands still in my hair. "Would you like to see?"

"Please," I replied.

It would help me blend in to have a braid in that was meant for Northerners. I turned to the floor-length mirror behind Sansa and peered in. She had done a wonderful job. The hair in front of my head was pulled up and cascaded gently down my back. Two sections of hair were twisted together and pulled out to make my hair seem larger. It looked like a normal braid. Laid on top of that braid was a much thinner one that cascaded down. On each side of the back of my head was another thin braid. The leftover hair on the bottom layer was laid straight.

"This is beautiful," I said, reaching back and running my hands through the loose hair. "How did you learn this?"

"Practice," Sansa said plainly.

"You have a talent, my dear," I said truthfully. Sansa smiled at the praise as she looked down at her feet. I reached up and twirled the ends of her hair around my fingers. "Perhaps I'll come to you each time I need my hair done."

Sansa nodded excitedly. "Please do." I stood from the chair and prepared to leave, but I was stopped when Sansa spoke again. "I - I found some gowns that I think will suit you. Would you care to see?"

I smiled at her. "Yes, thank you."

We both stepped back as Sansa threw back the sheets on her bed and showed me a dress that was laid out in the center. It was lovely, but my gaze quickly shot to something else. It was a mostly black ensemble that's only other coloring was brilliant red stitching throughout. There was a tight-fitting black tunic laid underneath a black leather vest that had crossing straps at the chest. There was also a pair of black trousers with a pair of black chaps laid over the sides of the thighs. The only other material was a black fox pelt designed to knot at the throat and hang from one shoulder.

Mesmerized by the lovely and powerful design, I walked up to it and lifted the edge of the fur pelt. "What is this?" I asked Sansa.

She looked a little embarrassed that I had spotted the other design. "Oh, I started working on when I heard that you were coming here," Sansa said. I arched a brow curiously. She had done this for me? "Some are pieces of clothing I already had. I did the red stitching and dyed some of the pieces black. I know that they're your House colors."

"Can I wear it?" I asked excitedly.

I'd wanted to be a conqueror when I was young. This was the perfect outfit to wear for it. "It's not done yet, but I'll give it to you the moment it is," Sansa said.

I nodded understandingly. "Thank you. I'll be excited to see it."

It was the truth. I couldn't wait to see the finished product. It reminded me of how excited I got each time Daenerys had told me she was working on a new dress or tunic for me to wear. Sansa was a little piece of home. The young girl smiled at me as she moved to the other end of the bed and showed me the very pretty gown I'd originally seen. It was made from what appeared to be a charcoal grey cotton and lined with white lynx fur. There was a white silk cloth wrapped around the waist that trailed to the floor. The neckline would drop a touch from my collarbone.

"Lovely," I told Sansa, fingering the soft material.

Sansa smiled, bowing her head slightly. "Glad you like it."

"Please, allow us to help you. I imagine you won't want to be wearing that?" Catelyn asked, motioning to my odd mixture of robes and cloaks I had draped over myself this morning. "I think it's time for breakfast, girls. Shall we?"

"Thank you," I told the women.

Catelyn picked up the gown and motioned me over to the bathroom. It was about twice the size of the one I had. The women closed the door behind me as Sansa helped me out of my two coats, folding them up and throwing them onto the stone counter. Catelyn promised she would have one of the maids come and wash them. She also promised to have someone wash my silk gown carefully after I hesitantly handed it over, explaining that I had promised Daenerys she could have it once she was big enough to fit into it. It had always been her favorite.

Though I was confident Catelyn didn't like me very much, she must have sympathized with me that I was trying to keep my family close to my heart even from halfway around the world. Once Sansa had finished doing up the laces on the dress she stepped back and allowed me to give myself a once-over in the mirror. I nodded approvingly at my appearance. I was slowly morphing into someone that belonged in the North. A heavy dress, a cloak that would have killed me from heatstroke in Pentos, and a braid designed for a highborn Northerner.

It surprised me that I was as comfortable with my appearance as I was. I had always taken pride in the fact that I looked like no one else, but I liked the bit of Northerner I had now. But there was still that touch of Targaryen in my hair and eyes. The hair that was nearly as white as snow. The eyes that pierced through a crowd. It was a good mix. I smiled at myself for a few moments before Eraesella's warning from last night came back to my mind. Remember what you came here for... you are not a Northern Lady.

She was right. I wasn't from here. This was just a place I was living until I could figure out what my next step was. I smiled tersely at the two women as Catelyn opened her arms, motioning us to the hallway. We walked out of the room and to the next door down, beckoning a still half-asleep Arya to come to breakfast with us. I smiled at the dark-haired girl as we made our way across the yard and into the grand hall, which appeared to be hosting another feast of sorts for breakfast, something that had been done solely because of my arrival.

As we'd entered the hall, I had reassured Catelyn that they didn't need to do all this for me, but she insisted that it was to make me feel welcome. I smiled at her as she broke off to sit with her husband and I was ushered away with her daughters. I grabbed my breakfast with them, mostly listening to the direction of Arya and Sansa for what to eat, before heading back to a bench near the high table with them. I briefly stopped to greet the boys before turning and taking my seat, well-aware that Robb's eyes were following me. I was deliberate in taking long strides with swinging hips.

The breakfast was normal enough. I continued getting to know Arya and Sansa, asking them what their favorite hobbies and foods were. It was a mundane conversation but nothing that took too much thought. I felt a sense of peace that I hadn't been expecting with so many people around. The girls did most of the talking with me only putting in the occasional comment as I chewed my food. It was strange, a little saltier and chewier than I was used to. It was a long time before the conversation died down from the two girls, both concentrating on their food now.

At least, Sansa was focusing on her food. Arya was stabbing at the table with her knife as she stared at the table behind us. "What do they keep looking over here for?" Arya finally snapped.

She was motioning to the table where the boys sat. "They're looking at Rhaeyna," Sansa answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why?" Arya asked.

"Because boys are easy to distract," I interrupted, sensing the tension between the sisters.

The two both looked ready to speak again when another voice called from behind us. "Rhae."

A smile turned up on my lips. There was only one person in Winterfell that would be calling me by that nickname. I turned and looked up, spotting Robb standing above me. "Robb," I greeted happily.

Just as Robb opened his mouth to speak, he was interrupted. "My lady," Theon greeted, walking up to Robb's side and slapping his friend on the shoulder.

Robb's mouth thinned into a small line as I smiled at the Greyjoy man. He was only here to mess with Robb, which I respected. I would have done the same to Dany, given the chance. "Theon," I greeted in response.

"Would you care for a tour of Winterfell?" Theon offered.

It looked like Robb's teeth would break from how tightly he had them ground together. I smiled at the playful rivalry between the two men as I turned to Theon. "That's quite kind of you to offer, Theon, but I fear that I've already accepted another," I said, looking to Robb, who was grinning now. "Unless you've come to tell me to go with Theon."

"No," Robb said quickly, sending a sharp scowl to Theon before turning back to me. "I was just coming to see if you were ready."

"As it happens, I am," I said, raising my legs to spin myself over the bench. "Another time, perhaps, Theon?"

Theon smiled tensely. "Of course."

"I'll see you two later," I told Sansa and Arya.

"Bye, Rhaeyna," the two girls said together.

They both sent me little waves as they looked down at the ground, giggling with each other. I smiled at them. It was nice to see the sisters bonding over something, even if it was laughing at my situation. I rose from my spot at the table and took Robb by the arm. Theon watched irritably as the two of us made our way out of the dining hall. As we passed the front table I noticed the Stark parents watching us closely. They weren't the only ones. Daris and Eraesella were also watching us with slit eyes. There was no way we would ever be left completely alone.

"Your parents are watching us," I commented, glancing up at Robb.

He nodded as if he had already been expecting it. His eyes briefly darted to Ella and Daris before coming back to me. "So are your friends," he said.

"They don't trust you," I explained.

"Do you?" Robb asked.

My eyebrow quirked slightly. Did I trust Robb Stark? There were very few people I trusted in the world and they were ones I'd known my entire life. I barely knew Robb. "I haven't decided yet," I said honestly. "Do you trust me?"

"I haven't decided yet," Robb answered.

We both smiled at each other playfully as I gently shoved Robb to the side. He let out a charming laugh as we walked into the yard. I supposed I'd deserved that answer. We kept walking as Robb offered me his arm again. I linked mine through his and smiled as he placed his hand over mine again. Robb was still chuckling softly and I smiled at the look on his face. His green eyes were brighter than I'd ever seen from someone who was laughing. He was like the true embodiment of happiness.

"You look so happy when you smile," I commented.

No one I knew had ever smiled like that. Robb's grin faded slightly as he stared at me. "Do you know people who don't look happy when they smile?" he asked curiously.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much happiness in my life. "My brother doesn't," I answered him. Robb didn't understand what I meant. "When he smiles, it's like there's always something behind it. He's still angry or doesn't trust Daenerys or me. It's like he knows that his happiness will be short-lived. I don't know. But it's so rare for me to see a smile like that. Pure and genuine."

"Have you ever been genuinely happy?" Robb asked.

There were brief flickers in my life that had been lovely, but they'd never lasted more than a day or so. "No," I answered honestly. Robb looked shocked at my admission. "You could imagine that a child doesn't exactly know happiness when their bedtime stories were all about how their father ran about the throne room screaming orders to burn all of his subjects. When people look at me, I know that they see him."

"I don't," Robb answered so quickly it almost surprised me. He barely knew me. How did he know that I had no madness in me? "I don't know you well, I barely know you at all, but I don't think you are like your father."

The slightest of smiles turned up on my face. "You'll never know what that means to me," I said honestly.

Just hearing someone say they didn't think I was like my father sent a warm wave through my chest. I knew my father would have loved me, but that didn't change who he had been at the end of his life. Robb and I stared at each other for a long time as a slight shiver ran over my arms. I had never liked being compared to my father and having Robb tell me he didn't think we were alike had given me an immense feeling of relief. Though I'd never expressed my concerns, the worry of an impending madness had never left my mind.

Eventually, I could take the thoughts no longer. "Come now. This conversation is too intense," I told Robb, shaking my head clear and taking his arm, dragging him behind me. "Show me around."

"Of course," Robb said.

We walked to what Robb called the Great Keep first. It was the innermost castle of Winterfell and the stronghold of the complex. It was where the Starks - and now myself - lived. The walls of the Great Keep were made of beautiful granite and it connected to the armory by a raised bridge. The Great Hall - where we had eaten our meals - was used for receiving guests, exactly the way they had used it for me. It was the single largest building in Winterfell, made of grey stone with wide doors made of oak and iron.

It was the warmest part of Winterfell and housed the people who seemed most willing to welcome me. As we walked out of the heart of Winterfell, Robb explained to me that his father had built a small sept for Catelyn when she'd first arrived at Winterfell to make her feel more at home. We'd walked past with a vague glance as very few people other than Catelyn used it. Not long after we had passed the First Keep, a squat and round drum tower, which was the oldest surviving part of the castle but no longer in use. Around it laid a large lichyard.

Robb had gotten a good laugh out of me telling him that it was the creepiest part of Winterfell. The North was so much darker and quieter than Pentos was. It was mostly a joke but it was also the truth. The North was so calm and collected, nothing like the hustle and bustle of Pentos. Robb had shown me the Bell Tower afterward, which was connected to the rookery by another bridge that ran from the fourth floor of the tower to the second floor of the rookery. It was filled with dozens of breeds of birds I had never seen before.

On the other end of Winterfell was the Library Tower. It was the place Robb and I ended up spending the most time in. The one that I would have loved to have in Pentos was a library. I always had liked reading but we'd rarely stayed in one place long enough for me to get through a story. Robb promised that I could take out a book whenever I pleased and take as long as I needed to finish it. There was a stonework staircase that wound around the exterior of the library that Robb told me Bran could climb in a matter of seconds.

Once we had wound our way back down the staircase outside of the library, Robb brought us to the edge of the walls of Winterfell. I'd teased Robb about bringing me out there to kill me, which had given him a good laugh. It turned out that we were going toward the godswood. I'd never seen one, but I knew they were wooded sanctuaries, enclosed within a castle's walls, that had been set aside as a place of worship and meditation dedicated to the Old Gods of the Forest. It was centered around a single weirwood tree with a face carved into the trunk.

"I've never known," Robb commented as I meandered around the weirwood tree. "What faith do the Targaryen's follow?"

"There isn't one," I answered. "There was a Valyrian religion that was practiced in Essos throughout the empire called the Valyrian Freehold. It was polytheistic with a pantheon of several gods. Most of the old dragons were named after those gods: Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes. That religion lasted for thousands of years within the Freehold but was greatly diminished after the Doom of Valyria destroyed our civilization. We later abandoned the religion when Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters converted to the Faith of the Seven. It was largely a political move."

"Do you follow it?" Robb asked.

"No. I don't believe in any god," I told him.

Robb looked surprised. "None?"

"None. I don't believe that someone is out there, watching over you, guiding along your movements. I believe that you make your way in this world," I explained. Robb still looked surprised but he nodded in understanding. Suddenly, I was curious if he shared my sentiment. "Do you believe in the Old Gods?"

"I do," Robb answered. "I've always found myself at peace in the godswood. I'm not so certain that I believe in the gods, but I believe that there is something about this place."

It sounded like a nice place to be. "Maybe I'll have to come here more often."

"You're more than welcome to come here whenever you need," Robb told me.

"Thank you," I said.

I'd been in Winterfell for just over a full day, but this place already felt like home. Robb was certainly helping. I didn't know Robb very well, but I was extremely grateful for everything he'd done for me in the short amount of time we had been together. I walked forward and wrapped my arms over his shoulders. To my surprise, his arms wound back around my waist, resting in the small of my back. I wasn't sure how long we spent wrapped in each other, but I knew I wouldn't be the first one to pull away. Robb Stark was the comfort I needed after leaving Dany.

Perhaps it was inappropriate of me, but Robb didn't say anything about it. Instead, his hands wound gently into the braid as I tucked my head into his shoulder. It might have been slightly pathetic but I had never had a true friend before. Dany and Viserys were my siblings. Daris was my knight. Eraesella was my maid. I had had others in my life but had never made any genuine friends. No one had shown an interest in me for any reason other than liking my standing in society - save Robb Stark. He was the only person I'd met that seemed to like my personality.

He had no interest in my claim to the throne. None that I saw, anyway. The cracking of branches was what finally forced us apart. A couple was walking into the godswood. "I - I'm sorry," I stammered dumbly, stepping back from Robb. This was no time for me to act like a pathetic little girl around a handsome member of the ruling family of Winterfell. "I don't know what came over me."

My momentary weakness was forgiven by Robb. "You've just left your family for the first time in your life. You are in a foreign land with strangers. It's natural to be unsteady," he said, placing a sturdy hand on my shoulder. "It helps to have a friend."

"Is that what we are?" I asked curiously.

"Is that what you'd like to be?" Robb replied.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a friend after all my years of only having loyal servants and knights along with myself and my siblings? "I've never had a friend before," I said honestly.

I'd always considered Eraesella and Daris my friends but that was because of their loyalty to my family, not because they'd met me in the street and decided they liked my personality. Robb looked extremely saddened to hear that. "Then I'll be honored to be your first," he said brightly. We smiled at each other as Robb extended his hand to me again. "Shall we return?"

"Yes," I said.

It would have been fun to explore Winterfell for a while longer but we'd already been out here far too long. We started walking back toward the main fortress of Winterfell, past the couple who had wandered into the godswood. I knew they would be whispering about us as we left but I didn't care. I was enjoying myself and maybe this trip didn't have to be about just using Robb. Maybe I could be real friends with him. The idea of having a real friend warmed me to my core. I linked arms with Robb again and smiled as he walked us back into the courtyard.

That time my gaze turned to a few targets set up in the distance I hadn't initially noticed. I stopped walking and motioned to Robb. "Is that for archery practice?" I asked him curiously.

"Yes," Robb said.

"Do you shoot?"

"Yes. My father taught me when I was just about Bran's age. We've learned to fight with bows and arrows and swords since we were children."

"Do you like shooting?"

"I prefer a sword."

The targets looked extremely enticing to me. "I've never shot a bow before," I said.

Robb chuckled. "I'd be surprised if you had."

"Why? Because I'm a woman and we're not meant to do such things?" I asked shortly.

Robb paled. "It's -"

"I'm teasing you," I interrupted, resting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Robb laughed, shaking his head at my antics. "But I was being honest. That's why, correct?"

"I'm sorry for the presumption," Robb said.

Well, I had already had my presumptions about him. It was only fair that he had some about me. "Don't be. It's what you were taught. Did you know that most of the dragon riders in my family were women?" I asked dreamily. Oh, the things I could have done if I had a dragon. "There's a legend that some of them would shoot from the backs of their dragons."

Robb looked as fascinated by the story as I was. "What do you think?" he asked.

_That I could only wish the dragons were still around.. _I could learn to shoot a bow and ride a dragon. I would finally feel useful for more than just bearing sons. "I think that I'm proud to be descended from them," I told him.

Robb smiled, running a hand over my upper back. "As you well should be."

I smiled at him, looking toward the shooting targets. "Will you show me how?" I asked curiously.

"To shoot?" Robb asked, surprised.

"Yes," I said.

Robb looked as surprised as I felt. I couldn't believe I'd asked him. But now that I had, I was excited. I wanted to learn, though it looked like Robb didn't know quite how to answer my request. "I - I'll have to check with my father and see if -"

"If he trusts that I won't shoot you once I've learned how to use a bow," I put together.

It was easy enough to tell from the way he had stammered over his words. Even if Robb trusted me, the adults in his family didn't. "Unfortunately, I believe you are correct," Robb said, smiling guiltily.

"I'm sorry," I said suddenly, realizing just how many times I had cut him off in the past few minutes. "I think that's about the tenth time that I've interrupted you and we've not even known each other a day."

Robb smiled, bowing politely. "You can interrupt me any time, my lady. I get the feeling that you probably will anyway."

But it wasn't polite to interrupt him while he was trying to speak. "If I ever wanted to talk with Viserys in the room, I had to learn to talk over him. It's a habit," I defended myself weakly.

Robb's face fell. "He sounds -"

"Domineering?" I offered. My face dropped as I realized I had just interrupted him again. We exchanged a quick look before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Sorry."

Robb shrugged his shoulders. "I'm used to it already."

We smiled at each other as we wandered back into the courtyard of Winterfell. I glanced around, watching the children darting around. "Have you ever left Winterfell?" I asked curiously.

Robb shook his head. "No. I've grown up here. The farthest we've ever gone was just for hunting trips."

"That must have been nice. To leave, knowing that you always had a safe place to call home."

"It was that bad?"

A bitter smile crept its way across my lips. "Do you know that I remember the first time a man openly tried to kill me?" I said.

Robb's steps halted as he searched for the right words. "Might I ask what happened?"

"We were in Braavos. Just me and Daris. Viserys was taking care of Dany with a knight loyal to my family, Ser Willam. Daris had suggested that the three of us dye our hair. It was too unsteady to have a Targaryen out in the open still so soon after Robert's Rebellion. We were wandering through the marketplace, searching for something to turn our hair to even a dark blonde. That was when I felt it," I explained.

Robb watched as I reached up and pulled my cloak over my shoulder, immediately grateful that it wasn't too cold in Winterfell. My hands traveled up to the laces at the top of my dress as I began to loosen them, pulling the top part of the dress open and shifting the material to the right. It was now showing the skin the fabric had been covering yesterday when Robb had done up the laces. As I moved my hair over my other shoulder, I turned back to Robb, revealing a thin scar that ran from below my shoulder blade to just over the middle of my spine.

"If I had been standing just a few inches closer to him, I would have lost my head," I continued. Robb watched as I tightened the laces again and threw my cloak back over myself. "Davis turned and lopped the man's head off in one fell swoop for daring to try and execute me. We rushed back to where we had been staying and immediately fled to the next city. I was six."

The scar had faded over the years but the memory remained stark in my mind. "I'm glad he didn't hurt you," Robb said, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"As am, I. Viserys was furious at the attempt but quite grateful that Daris had been there to save me. Dany cried for days afterward."

"Daris. That's the knight with you now, is he not?"

"That's him. Daris has been a good friend to my family for many years."

Daris had always been one of the few people in my life I'd felt had treated me like a friend. Rob shook his head as we continued through the courtyard. "I can't believe someone tried to kill a child," he said.

"A child with a claim to the Iron Throne makes them less of a child and more of an object," I said quietly.

Robb's dark eyebrow raised curiously. "You have a rather relaxed attitude towards men trying to kill you."

When it happened to me as frequently as it did, it made no difference. It was just another day in my life. "So many men have tried to kill me over the years that I can't even remember them all. There's no point in dwelling on them," I said carelessly.

Robb frowned. "You've had a hard life."

"So I have," I agreed, smiling at him again. "But I'm still alive. That has to count for something."

There was no point in being depressed about how messy my life became. I just had to focus on the happy parts, of which there were surprisingly many. As we continued walking, Robb released my arm and walked off to the left toward one of the archery stations. I didn't follow him, instead, watching him with my arms crossed over my chest. Robb pulled a wooden bow off its hook on the rack and grabbed an arrow, nocking it against the frame. He aimed at the target directly across from him and released as the arrow sailed into the center.

A few people in the yard stopped to smile proudly. Robb turned back to me and smiled. I returned the gesture as he headed back to me. "You have good aim," I commented, looking at the arrow buried deep in the middle of the target.

"It's not always about your aim. It's about your eyes - your eyesight," Robb corrected himself quickly.

"Then you have good eyes," I said, smiling.

Robb nodded. "I do." He hesitated for a moment before motioning toward the target. "Would you like to take a turn?" he offered.

My eyebrow arched. I would have loved to try shooting but I'd thought we had to wait. "I thought you had to wait for your father to tell you that it was okay? After all, aren't you afraid of me skewering you while you sleep?" I asked, grinning at him playfully.

Robb grinned back at me. "Can I trust you?"

"Suppose you'll find out," I teased. We smiled at each other again as we moved slowly toward the targets. "I think the better question is, do you trust me?"

"I do," Robb said.

"Show me, then," I said, motioning to the target.

Robb nodded, guiding me the few steps to the mark for the shooters. "Stand here. Turn your body toward the target," he instructed. Robb's hands moved to sit at a respectable height on my hip as he gently pushed my body into alignment with the straw target. He released my right hip as he reached back and grabbed the bow off the rack. "Take the bow."

Robb held the bow out in front of me to take. I wrapped my hand around the grip where Robb was motioning to. He folded my fingers into the grooves on the grip and motioned for me to hold the bow out. Robb did most of the work, showing me where I was supposed to hold the bow against my body and how my shoulders were supposed to be positioned. It wasn't long before Robb handed me an arrow, demonstrating how to place the nock in between my fingers and how to draw the string.

My shoulders wavered slightly from the abnormal tenseness in my stance. Robb stood behind me, keeping his fingers folded over mine. "Now, raise the arrow," Robb instructed. I slowly raised the arrowhead to meet the center of the target. "Relax your shoulders." My spine straightened as his hands worked against my shoulders, which was exactly what I wasn't supposed to do. "Take in a deep breath." His fingers on his free hand moved over the middle of my stomach. "When you're ready, slowly release your fingers from the string."

Robb's hands rested gently over mine. I didn't know much about shooting but I did know that my stance was too tense to fire a bow. It would only work because Robb was essentially shooting for me. It was an exciting moment, though. I loved the feeling of having the bow in my hands. Viserys had always told Dany and I that it was a woman's place to have children - not to be a warrior. He had always said that was his job. But it wasn't... At Robb's instruction, I slowly released my fingers from the nock and felt the arrow soar away from my hands. Robb immediately stepped back.

"Take a look," Robb told me. I looked up and saw that my arrow was just a few inches from the center of the target. "I think you're a natural."

We were both smiling happily. "Or you're a good instructor. It was mostly your shot anyway," I told him.

Robb shook his head. "I just showed you what to do. You made the shot."

Technically the shot was mine, but I likely would have skewered someone if Robb hadn't been showing me what to do. I turned back to the eldest Stark child and smiled at him, handing him the bow back. He took it but didn't initially turn away from me. Instead, he kept his gaze firmly focused on me. It was only then that I realized we were standing quite close together. I was halfway tempted to kiss him, but I managed to resist the sudden and surprising urge. I wasn't the only one to feel the urge, apparently, as Robb stepped into me.

Though I was halfway tempted to let it happen, I noticed something rather off in the distance. "Does she often do that?" I asked Robb.

He looked stunned at my question. "Pardon?" Robb asked.

"Your mother," I answered, looking directly into Catelyn Stark's eyes. "She's standing on the rampart up there, watching us, and not looking too happy."

Robb turned back to look at his mother. She looked away from me and to her son, who smiled at her and nodded, to which Catelyn responded to the gesture. "I think she's a little nervous to see the two of us together," Robb told me. "I'll talk to her."

"No, don't do that," I said, pulling Robb back. I didn't want him to make a scene with his mother. "She's right to be mistrusting."

Robb looked at me like I was insane. "You're here now, making the effort. She should understand that."

Catelyn was right not to trust me. My intentions here weren't purely what he thought they were. "Your people will not warm up to me in a day. I know that. It will take time. I've prepared myself for that much," I told Robb.

Robb arched a brow curiously. "How long do you plan on staying?"

"However long it takes for me to prove that having me here is not dangerous," I answered semi-honestly. That was how it would begin. "I am not my father, nor are my siblings. We have a right to live as much as anyone else."

"That could take a very long time," Robb commented.

"Are you trying to push me out?" I asked.

Robb shook his head. "On the contrary, I've quite enjoyed your company so far."

"Hmm... That's relieving to hear," I teased, smiling at Robb. He returned the gesture as we began strolling through the yard. People were wandering all over the place but no one seemed to be rushing to get anywhere. "So, tell me." Robb glanced up from the walkway. "What do you do in your day-to-day life here in Winterfell?"

"That depends on the day, I suppose," Robb said.

"Your favorite kind of day then," I suggested.

Robb thought for a moment before speaking. "The beginning of summer," he answered. I tilted a brow upward, motioning for him to explain. "There is still a chill in the air in the morning, but it's finally warm enough to go out for a stroll. Practice in the yard for a little while. Have a large breakfast in the dining hall with everyone. The birds and other animals are finally out. Everyone eats together and laughs and celebrates that they've made it through the harsh winter."

It seemed like the kind of day a real family could spend together. "That sounds like a lovely kind of day," I said honestly.

"It's fast approaching," Robb said. I flashed him a small smile. "What's your favorite kind of day?"

"Being out on the beaches of Pentos," I answered immediately. "We would find some secluded spot on the outskirts of a small village. We would lay in the sun all day, laughing with each other and ignoring the fact that we didn't have a home. It was the one time that we were just children."

We hadn't done it often, but the days we had were burned into my memory. "I'd like to see that beach one day," Robb said, smiling fondly.

"I'd like to return. Problem is, I don't recall the name or where exactly it was," I said, laughing at my idiocy.

"You could go looking for it one day," Robb suggested.

"All on my own? That sounds lonely," I teased.

"You don't have to go alone. Take someone with you."

"Who would you suggest?"

My eyebrow arched playfully. I was hoping he would take the hint and offer his services. "Robb," Catelyn Stark's voice suddenly cut through the air. We both turned back quickly. She nodded politely in my direction. "Rhaeyna. Pardon my interruption."

Robb didn't look happy with the interruption. "Mother -"

"Not a problem," I interrupted, placing an arm on Robb's shoulder and smiling at Catelyn.

A fight was sure to start if I didn't try to stop Robb. Catelyn looked between us curiously before looking back to her sun. "Robb, your father would like to see you," she said. He nodded at her as she looked back at me. "My apologies for cutting your tour short."

"That's quite alright. It doesn't appear that I'll be leaving anytime soon," I said as happily as possible, looking around the yard for a moment before turning back to Robb. "Perhaps we can pick up on it later?"

"Of course," Robb said.

Robb and I exchanged a brief smile with each other and I gave Catelyn a short nod before I turned to walk off. My skirt floated around my feet freely as I wandered through the slightly chilly air. I turned back for a brief moment, just long enough to notice Robb and Catelyn speaking in hushed tones. She looked angry about something - likely the fact that her son was speaking so freely to a Targaryen. Robb looked annoyed - likely about his mother's interference with our conversation. Catelyn's eyes traced up from the ground before landing on me, realizing I was staring at her.

Deciding to be polite, I gave Catelyn a slight smile before turning and walking off. I knew that I needed to be very careful with my bounds with Catelyn. She could easily have Ned turn around and throw me out of Winterfell and back to Pentos. I couldn't go back there. Not now and unfortunately not for a long time. Not until I had done what needed to be done. So, I decided to turn around and see what else I could get into. There had to be something fun I could do. This place couldn't just be freezing and boring all the time.

It almost made me smile when I turned again and spotted Sansa and Arya. They were both sitting under a tower near the center of Winterfell. It appeared that they were currently having sewing lessons with a few other young girls. Sansa looked like she was doing wonderfully as she was praised by her septa. Arya was stitching away carelessly, messing the stitching up beyond repair. The septa didn't look the slightest bit entertained by Arya's carelessness. But I thought it was cute. So, I decided to walk over to them and see if I could get one of the girls to chat with me.

Before I was able to walk up to their sides and bring them into a conversation, Sansa strutted off with some of her friends. The few young girls were laughing at a young attractive boy out in the yard who was practicing his sword work. I smiled at them. I understood what the girls were giggling at. I'd felt that way sometimes with the handsome boys I'd seen in Pentos. I hated to admit that I was currently feeling that way about Robb. I turned from the girls, trying to put my feelings elsewhere. Instead, I walked up to Arya, who looked about ready to throw her sewing needle away.

I'd developed a quick fondness for Arya's distaste for traditionally feminine roles. "You don't like sewing, do you?" I asked her, seating myself on the stool Sansa had just left.

"No," Arya huffed. "I'm lousy at it."

I hummed quietly. "As was I. I'm not a half-bad artist, but I can't sew worth a damn. One of my earlier attempts at sewing a pair of trousers for Viserys ended with me forgetting to put in holes for his feet," I told her. Arya giggled happily. I smiled, brushing her tangled hair back off her forehead. "If you want to do something else, go do it. Don't let society tell you what you should be doing."

"The boys just laugh at me when I ask them to come on hunts," Arya said.

"So, stop asking. Go," I told her.

"Will you come with me?" Arya asked.

"On a hunt?" I replied, surprised.

I'd never been hunting before, though I imagined it could be something exciting to do. "And to ask Robb," Arya said. I smiled at her. I should have seen that one coming. "He's going on one with Jon and Theon soon. They're taking Bran. Father and Jory will be going as well. I want to go."

Almost all of the men were going, even one of the youngest boys, but not a single one of the women was going. "I'll certainly come along," I said.

"Will you ask him?" Arya asked hopefully.

"Why must I ask him?" I said.

"Because Robb likes you," Arya said bluntly. "He'll probably say yes if you ask."

It was fair, though it was a nerve-wracking task. "I'll give it my best try."

"Thanks, Rhae."

Arya was one of the sweetest people I had met in Winterfell so far. She reminded me very much of myself when I had been her age. In some ways, she even reminded me of Dany. I'd already known Arya was fond of me, but it still surprised me when she launched forward into my arms and threw her own around my waist. The moment of comfort reminded me of having Dany at my side. I let out a soft breath, placing my head down in Arya's dark hair, stroking it back a few times.

When she finally released me, I smiled down at her and said, "Might I ask you something?"

"Of course," Arya said.

"Why did you say that Robb liked me?" I asked curiously.

Arya looked shocked. "Isn't it obvious?"

"I suppose I meant in which way," I said carefully.

It wasn't hard to see that Robb liked me, but I wasn't sure how she meant it. "The way he looks at you," Arya said. I nodded for her to continue. "He looks at you like... I don't know."

But I knew what she meant. "One day someone will look at you that way," I told her.

Arya gave me a disbelieving look. "Are you sure?"

Any man would be a fool to pass up Arya, but I also knew that not every man could take on someone like her. "I've got a good feeling. You just have to give it time. You're a lovely young woman who won't just settle for anyone," I said honestly. Arya gave me a brilliant smile as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her with me. "Come. Let's see if we can find your brother."

We walked off together to see if we could find Robb. I hadn't left him with his mother that long ago. I didn't know if their conversation was over, but I figured I could at least give it a shot. Arya grabbed my hand and began pulling me with her, leading me through the yards of Winterfell, searching far and wide for where Robb had gotten to. I let Arya lead the way as she seemed to know where she was going. Eventually, we came out to the same training yard Robb had shown me earlier. I smiled at the sight of the older boys' training.

Naturally, this was where the boys would be. "Robb," I called out.

It appeared that it was currently Robb fighting against Theon and Jon. Robb and Jon both appeared on the same level whereas Theon was a bit weaker in his stance. Robb swiped out at Theon - likely missing as my voice seemed to have startled him a bit - before stepping back, smiling as he turned back to meet my eyes. Theon looked about halfway tempted to lob his sword at Robb while he was distracted by me. Instead, he watched, green with envy, as Robb pulled off his armor and stepped toward me.

Once he was just inches away, I spoke. "We were wondering if we could ask you something."

"We?" Robb asked curiously.

Why did he look so confused? I glanced back at Arya, immediately realizing that I was alone. I chuckled, looking back up at Robb. "Or, just me, apparently," I corrected myself, making Robb laugh. "Arya would like me to ask you if you would be okay with having us join you on your hunt?"

Robb's face fell. "Oh. Rhae, it's not appropriate to bring Arya along on a hunt."

It was my turn to scowl. "Why not? You're taking Bran, who's younger than her."

"Rhae, I'm not sure that it's a wonderful idea."

"Why?"

"Because..."

"Because she's a little girl?" I offered. I knew without Robb saying anything that I was correct. His face drained of color. The sexist thoughts weren't unique to Robb, but they were infuriating. "Because she's supposed to sit around on her ass and sew and knit and make pretty dresses? Because she's supposed to keep her mouth shut? Be seen and not heard?"

Judging by the look on his face, I had embarrassed Robb greatly. Sometimes men needed to be embarrassed for things to change. "Rhae -"

"Please, Robb," I interrupted, reaching out and taking his hands. Anything he was going to say died on his lips as he looked at me. "Hear me out. Look to the future. If you had a daughter and she wanted to be a knight, if she had no interest in becoming a princess trapped within the walls of a castle, what would you tell her?"

Robb's gaze softened slightly as I smiled at him. I'd gotten somewhere. "I would..." Robb hesitated for a few moments, clearly unsure of what he was supposed to say now. "I would tell her what my father has always told me."

"And what's that?" I asked.

"To do not what feels easy but what feels right."

"And?"

"I would suggest Arya do the same."

It was a nice sentiment, but it didn't feel like it had hit hard enough. "Why do I feel like I have just been talking to the wall behind you?" I asked Robb slowly.

Robb let out a deep breath, shaking his head regretfully. "As much as I would love to allow Arya on the hunt, I don't believe she would be welcome. Not just that, but I doubt Father would allow her along. He would deem it too dangerous," he explained.

It wasn't an answer that I would take. "What will it take for you to allow Arya to join the hunting trip?" I asked stubbornly.

"Rhae -"

"So we're clear, I'm not taking no for an answer," I interrupted.

Robb chuckled. "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

"As it very well shouldn't," I teased. "Go on. What will it take?"

There had to be something I could do to get Arya on that hunting trip. If she could get out there, it would impact the rest of her life. It would motivate her to break boundaries for women everywhere. Robb was silent for a long time as he appeared to be trying to figure out what it would take to get Arya on the hunt. Apparently, myself as well, as I doubted Arya would allow me to sit out on the hunt. I wasn't overly fond of the idea of going on the hunt - as I had never loved seeing animals get hurt - but I knew that this was the right thing to do.

Finally, it appeared that Robb had come to his conclusion. "If you both listen to us at all times."

A small smile tilted up on the corner of my lips. "As you'll come to find out, Robb Stark, I don't listen to anyone."

Robb chuckled as he said, "I've noticed."

"You'll let us know when the hunt is set to begin, then?" I stated more than asked.

Robb laughed loudly as I began walking backward, smiling at him the entire time. "I'll talk to my father about having you two join," Robb called after me.

"You'll succeed," I called back.

If you gave someone a chance to say 'no' they always would. I had to make sure he didn't have a chance to tell me that Arya and I couldn't come on the hunt. Robb laughed again, shaking his head as he watched me walk off. I went to join Arya, who had been hiding behind a nearby pillar during our conversation. I should have known that the young girl would leave the deal up to me to handle. That much hadn't surprised me. I smiled at Arya and offered her my hand. She took it and pulled herself out from behind the wood to face me.

"What did he say?" Arya asked excitedly.

"He'll talk to your father to see if he will allow us along on the hunt," I explained.

Arya's face brightened. "I knew Robb would say yes if you asked."

"How did you know for sure?" I asked curiously.

"Because Robb likes you," Arya giggled as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Your brother has been very kind to me since my arrival," I said noncommittally.

"Do you like him?" Arya asked, unwilling to drop the conversation.

"Do you know that your sister asked me the same thing?" I said.

"What did you tell her?" Arya asked curiously.

For someone who didn't strike me as being interested in romance, Arya seemed very interested in mine. Of course, it probably helped that it had something to do with her brother. "I told her the same thing I'll tell you. Your brother has been quite accommodating to me in the brief time I've been here. It's been wonderful to have someone so willing to help me acclimate," I said.

The little girl huffed, obviously having hoped for something more. "That's it?" she asked.

I gave Arya a knowing smile. "For now."

Arya smiled back at me and nodded, knowing that it was the end of the conversation. For now, at least. There was nothing more to say about my relationship with Robb. Perhaps something more would come out of this. Or, perhaps nothing would. Either way, Winterfell was becoming much more interesting than I had initially expected, much in part due to the Stark family. Arya and I smiled at each other as we wandered through the yard. She spent a while showing me the spots she loved to hide and her favorite places to play.

It was a long time before I heard a familiar voice. "Rhaeyna," Eraesella's voice called. I turned back and smiled at her as she inclined her head slightly to Arya. "Lady Stark."

"My name is Arya," Arya replied bluntly.

A small grin turned up on my lips. "Hmm..." Ella hummed, giving Arya a once-over. I rocked back and forth on my toes for a moment, feeling very awkward. I didn't want Ella to snap at Arya. She was a little girl who hadn't learned when the appropriate time was to use her manners. "I see the two of you will get along well."

"I believe we will," I said, placing my hand on Arya's shoulder.

"Yes," Ella said, looking very unimpressed with us. "Well, it's time for dinner."

"Already?" I asked.

"Already. Come now, both of you," Ella called to us.

"Shall we?" I offered Arya.

She had been smiling brightly from the moment I'd told her we would likely be going on the hunt. She continued to grin as she nodded excitedly, walking off with Ella and myself toward the dining hall. Ella walked on my side that Arya wasn't occupying, chatting quietly with me as we walked. Ella had spent most of the day wandering around Winterfell with Daris to ensure that the castle was safe for me. I rolled my eyes at her, knowing that I would hear more about my safety here later. For now, I knew they wouldn't say anything with Arya mere feet from me.

A few minutes later, I walked into the dining hall with Ella and Arya at my sides. We met up with Sansa and her friends she had run off with earlier on our way to the table and had them join us. They were all giggly little girls who seemed fascinated by me. I wasn't surprised, considering I was somewhat of a novelty to the people in Winterfell. The girls chattered away with me madly as we headed toward our table at the front of the hall. I didn't particularly listen to them as I looked around the candlelit hall. The boys from the Stark family were yet to arrive.

"Looking for the Stark boy?" Ella asked quietly, catching where my gaze was.

"Please, Ella -"

"May I speak freely?" she interrupted.

"Always," I said.

"You've seemed happy each time I've seen you with Robb Stark," Ella said. My face flushed. I hated to admit that she was right. "Happier than I've seen you in a long time. Perhaps ever."

"We don't know each other, Ella," I argued weakly.

Despite having not even known each other for two days, I had greatly enjoyed the time I spent Robb. "Rhae," Ella chided gently. I looked up at her. "I've seen the way you speak to him. The little facade you have going on falters each time you're around him. You don't need to know him well to know that you're a happier version of yourself around him. He's told you about himself. Perhaps it's time you let him know the real Rhaeyna Targaryen - the one I know and love."

"Thank you, Ella," I whispered.

She was right. Someone in Winterfell should have known me the way I was - humorous and always ready for an adventure. Ella and I smiled at each other as I straightened up, forcing a vague smile on my face. The people in the hall watched me but I desperately tried to ignore them. Mostly because my mind was still firmly stuck on Robb Stark. Ella was right. I did enjoy the time I'd spent with Robb more than anyone else I had met in Winterfell. But I wasn't prepared to make a genuine friend here and not anything that could have been more than a potential friend.

It didn't take long for my attention to be forced away by the girls. I was surrounded by Sansa, Arya, Ella, and some of the young girls from around the village, chatting away with them. I told the girls stories about growing up in Pentos and moving around freely. The girls had looked fascinated the entire time, particularly as I discussed meeting Pentos' versions of royalty. I much preferred listening to them talk about Winterfell. They might not have been able to hear it in their voices, but I knew that they were speaking about this place with love. It was home and it was nice to see.

"Rhae. Girls."

Our small group turned back to see Robb standing above us. I smiled at him as most of the girls began giggling. "Robb," I greeted.

"May I interrupt?" Robb asked.

"You're not interrupting," I told him, turning to look at the girls. "Right?"

"No," they all insisted together.

"Can we?" Robb asked, extending his hand to me. I nodded as I took Robb's hand, allowing him to pull me to my feet. We linked arms as we walked toward the wooden doors. "I spoke with Father."

"That was fast," I teased.

"I didn't think you would give me long to make the first move," Robb said.

I giggled. "You were correct."

"He's agreed."

"Has he?" I asked.

Naturally, I had known that Ned would agree, but Robb would have had no idea why. I would be forced to play dumb for Robb and pretend not to know why Ned had allowed Arya and me to come along on the hunt. Ned knew to watch his hand around me for fear that I may have revealed the truth about Jon Snow. Robb and I exchanged a long look with each other as we walked through the yard and toward our rooms. I smiled up at him as Robb gave me a scrutinizing stare. He must have been wondering why his father had allowed me on the hunt.

"He has," Robb said slowly.

"You look surprised," I commented.

"I never expected my father to allow Arya along on a hunt," Robb explained. "He's protective of her."

"It appears to me that all of your men are protective of the young women," I said.

"Of course," Robb said. "They need -"

"To be protected?" I interrupted, raising my brows curiously.

Robb hesitated when he realized that I hadn't enjoyed his words. It was the truth. Women didn't need to be protected just because of their gender. To my surprise, Robb started laughing. "I would have never thought twice about saying that until I met you," he said.

"Then I'm glad to have given you another vantage point," I said. A smile settled over Robb's features. "There will always be people who need to be protected. The very young and very old. Men and women alike. Those who are not warriors. But if someone is good at fighting, willing to protect those who need it, what does it matter their gender?"

Robb nodded. "That's a fair point."

"You'll be the Lord of Winterfell one day. Perhaps you should come up with a better answer to my question," I suggested.

Robb smiled. "Perhaps I'll need you around to challenge me."

"I'd have a hell of a time getting Ella to stay here," I laughed, looking around.

"She doesn't seem to enjoy it here."

"She hates it here."

"And you?" Robb asked.

_It's certainly got some better views than what I was expecting_. "I've come to find that I enjoy Winterfell more than I initially expected," I said honestly.

"You do?" Robb asked curiously.

"I do," I told him. We smiled at each other as I moved my arm up Robb's, wrapping my fingers around his upper bicep. "How long do you normally stay out on hunts?"

"Six or seven days, usually. It depends on how lucky we are," Robb answered.

"And you set up camp out there?" I asked curiously.

"Nervous to sleep outside the walls?" Robb teased.

"You act as though I've never slept on the hard ground before," I said. The teasing glint in Robb's eyes died immediately. "You've always had this castle to call home. I've never had a place to call home. Being out there might just remind me of my childhood."

Robb's face had turned bright red. "I'm sorry, Rhae, I didn't think about -"

"It's fine. I know what you meant," I said, waving him off. Robb was still giving me a guilty smile. "When do we leave?"

Robb looked very relieved I had changed the subject. "A fortnight."

"What to do in the meantime?" I asked, letting out an exaggerated breath.

Robb smiled. "If you're not busy, there's something I think you might like to see."

"What's that?"

"That would ruin the surprise."

I smiled. "So, I'll have to trust you."

"Do you?" Robb asked.

"For some strange reason, I do," I said slowly.

"Good."

We smiled at each other as we walked up to the door to my bedroom. "Well, this is me," I said slowly.

"Goodnight, Rhae," Robb said, bowing his head.

Neither one of us moved. For a long time, we both stood and watched each other. I stood with one hand resting on the metal doorknob, wishing so much that I could pull him in with me. But I was trying to take things one step at a time for now. So, I said, "Goodnight, Robb."

Robb gave me a long smile before turning and walking off. As much as I wanted to call him back, I ultimately decided to let him go. I let out a deep breath as I turned back to the door. A moment later, Robb's voice echoed again. "Rhae."

"Yes?" I said, turning back to him.

Before Robb got the chance to speak to me, Daris's voice echoed from the other end of the hall. "My lady."

Both Robb and I turned to look at him. "Good evening, Daris," I greeted. I looked between the two men for a moment, feeling extremely torn over which one to continue speaking with. I _had_ been with Robb first. "Give us a moment, will you?"

Daris narrowed his eyes at Robb before nodding. "As you wish."

Daris nodded and brushed past me as he vanished inside my bedroom. "As you were saying?" I prodded Robb.

He waited until I had shut the door completely, blocking Daris from listening to our conversation. "If you ever feel like having company for the evening, you're more than welcome to come to visit," Robb offered kindly. It was an innocent offer, though a red tinge still flooded my cheeks. "I'm just a few rooms down. It just seems lonely to spend every night here with only your handmaid and knight."

"They're better company than you might think," I said. Robb nodded bashfully, likely believing that it was my way to refute his offer. "But I may take you up on that offer another night."

Robb smiled. "Whenever you would like."

"Thank you, Robb."

"Goodnight, Rhae."

Going to Robb's room one night was an interesting proposition and one that I knew I would eventually take him up on. I smiled at Robb as he walked up to me and pressed a kiss against my cheek. I felt my face warm slightly as he gave me the smallest bow and turned to head back to his room. I watched him for a moment, pleased with the turn of events of the day, before turning and slipping back into my room. Daris was waiting just past the threshold of the room and didn't look happy. I began pulling off my dress, unbothered by Daris' presence.

Daris had been taking care of me since I was an infant - changing me and healing any wounds I'd received. We were so familiar with each other that the sight of either one of us being unclothed had become completely natural. "The Young Wolf seems to be finding much comfort in your stay," Daris stated, handing me my dressing gown.

"You and Ella need to stop speaking with each other whilst I'm not around," I said.

"We're concerned," Daris told me.

They were concerned every time I did so much as take a step out of their immediate range of vision. "I know. There's nothing to be concerned with, Daris. Robb Stark has been very polite to me, but that's it," I said, shaking my head at him. Robb was fascinated with me as a Targaryen, but that would soon fade. "He's a young man. The next pretty face will come along and he will forget all about Rhaeyna Targaryen."

Daris let out a breath, walking up to me and resting a hand on my shoulder. "Take it from a man who has known and loved you for many years, Rhaeyna, you are not an easy woman to forget."

Something in my stomach sank at Daris's words. "He barely knows me," I argued weakly.

"It doesn't matter. The young man has already fallen hard for you," Daris said, smiling bitterly.

"That's silly," I said, waving him off.

"That's love, my dear," Daris said. We smiled sadly at each other as I backed away from Daris, seating myself on the edge of my bed. My thoughts were racing around my head incoherently. "I'll leave you to sleep."

"Thank you," I whispered. Daris turned to leave the room when I called him back. "Daris. Have you ever loved someone?"

He smiled. "You, my lady."

"Goodnight, Daris," I said, smiling lovingly at him.

"Sleep well, Rhae."

We stared at each other for a moment as my face broke into a smile. Daris gave me a nod before turning to leave the room, likely to stand guard for the night. He would have to sleep soon. It had already been two nights since he had gotten a full night's sleep. As I laid down in my furs, I stared into the fire. I tried to dream of my eggs and the dragons sleeping inside of them, but my thoughts were completely lost in Robb Stark. I had made the one mistake I'd tried so desperately to avoid - I had found someone I thought about even more than my mission here.

**A/N:** Thank you for reading, everyone! Sorry about how long this update took. As always, thank you for the follows and favorites. **Please review!** Until next time -A

_**A QUICK NOTICE:**_ For anyone who would like to keep closer tabs on my stories, I now have a Twitter account set up so I can stay in touch with my readers and keep you all up to date on when you can expect new updates. Here's the link! /walkerlifeforme

**Guest: Hello! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter! This story will be heavily focused on the romance, as I feel the Game of Thrones world actually can be very heavy in romance. We'll definitely see a lot of Rhae and Robb around the North, particularly before we hit the timeline from the show. I just want a few chapters to set up their romance and early flirtation. Hope you liked this one!**

**aussieKayz: Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this one!**

**Rhaeyns-Stark: Reviews like yours are so disheartening. Not because they offend me (that's a waste of time and effort), but because they're so unnecessarily rude. You offer no constructive criticism, instead pointing out each part of my story you dislike. Rather than going through point-by-point, I just want to say that I hate the term Mary-Sue. It insinuates that women can't be pretty and smart and talented, even if that's not what you meant. There must be faults found in a woman immediately. Rhae is bold. That's in her character. What's the old saying? A well-mannered woman will never get anywhere in life. That describes Rhae. I sincerely hope you learn to either leave the story and say nothing, or offer criticism with some suggestions for what could help it.**

**lizyeh2000: I'm so glad you love the story so far! Sorry this update took forever but I hope you enjoyed it!**

**UknownReaderHasJoined: I'm so glad you love it! I would love more reviews but I'll always be happy to get even a few. I hope you enjoyed this one!**

**movieman416: Thank you!**

**Guest: Whoa, that's a long review. I'll reply to as much as possible! Trust me, Robb is well aware that Rhae is attempting to manipulate him, he just hasn't said anything yet. He's just waiting for the right moment. You are right, Robb is smart and a good tactician. He'll approach Rhae when the time is right. Rhae is power-hungry right now, but trust me, she's going to soften as time goes on. Especially as she and Robb grow closer. I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter and I hope you've enjoyed this one as well!**

**NyanCos: I'm so glad you love Savage! That update is coming next. This is still a work in progress and I'm not completely sure where it's going. But, I'm working on it! I really hope you enjoyed this one!**

**Onesinglebird: Thank you very much! Things are much better with me these days. I'm fully healed now and back to writing!**

**debcpin2000: Thank you :) I hope you enjoyed this long-awaited chapter!**

**Guest: I'm one-hundred percent back to normal, thank you. I'm so glad you love Robb and Rhae! Here's hoping you enjoy them even more in the future!**


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